The Legend of Zelda: Legacies
by The Writer with No Name
Summary: Post Oot. After the defeat of Ganondorf, Link must deal with a new threat to his home and his beloved Zelda. Please read Author's Note first. Rated T to be safe.
1. Author's Note

AUTHOR'S NOTE

Hi, I'm The Writer with no Name. This is my first work of fan-fiction, and I just want to say a few things first.

For starters, this story takes place directly after Ocarina of Time. I've taken a few liberties. First, Zelda was never a Sage. Next, Link never went back to his childhood. Finally, Link and Zelda are together.

Next, I just want to say a few things about flaming. I admit that I have no control over what you wish to say about my work. I understand that some people may not like my work; heck, for all I know, NOBODY may like it. That being said, I would deeply appreciate it if no-one flames me. If you don't like my work, you don't have to read it. I believe that the words of the philosopher Voltaire hold true: "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." I have never flamed any writer in my life, and I have no intention of starting now. I would deeply appreciate the same courtesy from anyone who reads my work.

Finally, the standard disclaimer. The Legend of Zelda and all characters related are property of Nintendo. I own only the original characters created in this story, and I am not making any money from this. I wrote this story purely for my own entertainment.

Thank you all for reading this story (and not flaming). That said...on with the show!


	2. The Story Thus Far

THE STORY THUS FAR...

The kingdom of Hyrule had need of a hero.

Ganondorf, the evil King of the Gerudo, had begun seeking the legendary Triforce, the Golden Power of the gods, to claim it, and use its power to rule the world. He entered the Temple of Time and captured the Triforce of Power, one-third of the whole, using it to conquer Hyrule and begin a seven-year reign of terror, becoming the King of Evil.

But a ray of hope shone from the past.

Before Ganondorf obtained the sacred relic, a young boy of 10, Link, of the Kokiri Forest, began a journey to protect the Triforce from Ganondorf's vile grasp. Aided by the young Crown Princess of Hyrule, Zelda, Link obtained the Sacred Stones of Forest, Fire, and Water, and opened the Door of Time in the Temple of Time with the Royal Family's Ocarina of Time, a gift from Zelda. Past the Door, Link found the legendary Master Sword, the very Blade of Evil's-Bane, the weapon of the Hero of Time. He drew it, entering a 7-year period of enchanted slumber...and inadvertently leaving the gate to the Triforce open to Ganondorf.

Seven years later, Link, now a young man of 17, awoke as the Hero of Time, with a new mission: awaken the six Sages of Hyrule, and drive Ganondorf into the void of the Evil Realm. Link traveled Hyrule, finding new weapons to defeat Ganondorf's forces, mastering his newfound powers of magic, and awakening each Sage in the Temples of Hyrule.

Once all Sages had awoken, Link learned that he carried the Triforce of Courage...and was reunited with Princess Zelda, the bearer of the Triforce of Wisdom, and now a 17-year-old beauty. Link and Zelda then confessed their love for each other...and then Zelda was kidnapped by Ganondorf, who sought to claim the rest of the Triforce. Link stormed Ganondorf's Castle and slew the King of Evil, both saving his beloved Zelda and restoring peace to Hyrule.

A month has passed. Zelda's father, the King of Hyrule, freed from Ganondorf's dungeon, has been optimistically leading the reconstruction of Hyrule. Link has been honing his skills as the Hero of Time, and protecting the people of Hyrule from raiders, remnants of Ganondorf's army.

And Link and Zelda's love is in full bloom; they are closer to each other than ever.

But, though Ganondorf is gone, evil still lurks in Hyrule's shadows. A nameless darkness stalks Hyrule's Royal Family, and a dark conspiracy threatens what Link and Zelda hold so dearly.

The Hero of Time will be needed again...


	3. Chapter 1

CHAPTER ONE: GATHERINGS

In the medieval land of Hyrule, in the vast Hyrule Field, a crossroads to all other parts of the kingdom, the morning sun was rising over the green fields. At the base of a tall tree, a beautiful red mare, with a white mane stood grazing. The horse's name was Epona, and she was waiting patiently for her rider to get up.

High up in the tree's branches, lying on a branch, sound asleep, was Link. Link was an 18-year-old Hylian man, quite tall, his build the perfect balance between lean and muscular, with a light complexion. His hair was short and sandy-blond, most of it under his green floppy cap, with a few spiky wisps coming down in front of his forehead, his cap held up by his long, pointed ears, typical of the Hylian people. His eyes, closed in sleep, were storm-blue. He wore his typical garb: white tights on his arms and legs under his forest-green tunic, with fine brown leather boots and brown leather fingerless gauntlets. Strapped to his back was the legendary Master Sword, Sword of Evil's-Bane, the blade that could not be defeated. The blade was a fine broadsword, longer than Link's arm, razor-sharp, magic-infused, and crafted from the finest shining steel. Its hilt was made of blue metal, the hilt-crest two-pronged, extended when drawn, but now was closed in on itself and its sheath, locking it in until needed. Over the Sword was a fine, red-metal, mirror-coated, elongated-hexagonal shield, capable of reflecting light and energy: the Mirror Shield. He was the Hero of Time.

Link yawned as he awoke; the last month had been busy. He'd been training extensively, in both weapons and martial arts, learned from texts in the Hyrulian library, and adapted for use in battle, for his own fighting style. He'd been uneasy the past month, as if he could _feel_ another evil coming. In his training, he'd learned to make use of his Triforce of Courage; it let him sense evil from a distance, as well as sense any attack ... and know how to counter it.

In addition to his training, Link had been patrolling Hyrule's lands, driving off raiders before they could harm Hyrule's citizens; raiders which only added to Link's unease. The only person who made it bearable and worthwhile was Zelda.

Link smiled as he thought of his true love, Hyrule's beautiful and well-cherished Crown Princess. Zelda was the kindest, sweetest, most loving, most wonderful young woman Link had ever known, and she loved him in return. Their courtship over the last month had been slow and romantic: walks in the moonlight, picnics at noon, and their secret place in the Courtyard of Hyrule Castle, in the hidden garden, beneath the fine oak tree, where Link would play his Ocarina for Zelda, and sometimes, there were the precious moments where Zelda sang her sweet melodies, overcoming her shyness of her singing; shyness which, in Link's opinion, was unwarranted, for Zelda had the most beautiful voice he'd ever heard. Link was thankful that she was in his life...and that her father, King Andreus himself, had accepted him.

In Link's time at the Castle, with Zelda, Link had met His Majesty, and was gladdened to know that the King was quite down-to-earth, and easy to talk to, once one earned his respect.

Fortunately, Link had already done so, by rescuing Zelda and freeing all of Hyrule from Ganondorf.

The past month had been busy for the King, too, Link recalled; King Andreus had been busy in the rebuilding process, doing anything from okaying plans to actually pitching in. And, naturally, Link did whatever he could to help, which helped foster the King's good opinion of him.

That had also been how Link had met the Knights of Hyrule. The Knights had been confused on seeing him at first, when His Majesty had introduced him to them, but once the King explained who he was and what he'd accomplished, they'd welcomed him as one of their own, and Link became fast friends with them, and the Knights were happy to share battle techniques with him. They'd also been amazed at his skills, both in battle and in the wilderness, saying he combined the skills of the greatest Knights with those of a top-class Hyrulian Ranger. Link was glad to have made such friends.

Unfortunately, not everyone in the Royal Court thought so highly of Link. The nobles and aristocrats of the Court had as little to do with the Knights as possible, and didn't know of Link; therefore, they were mostly indifferent to him, not that Link really minded. The King had once thought to set the record straight, but Link had asked him not to, preferring to remain humbly unknown. However, because of his patrols and defense against raiders, his reputation as the Hero of Time was getting out, and even though it hadn't reached the nobles, they were starting to wonder 'who in Hyrule was that green-capped commoner.'

Suddenly, Link's ears perked up, hearing a cry for help, and his Triforce sensed that evil was near. Like lightning, Link leapt from his tree-perch, landing near Epona, then mounted the saddle in one move. "Let's go, girl!" Link declared. Epona whinnied in agreement, and they took off. As they rode, Link called out, "Hey, Navi!"

At once, a tiny, winged ball of blue light darted from the folds of Link's cap. It was his guardian fairy, Navi. "What is it, Link?" Navi squeaked.

"What do you suppose it is, this time?" Link laughed. "Moblins?"

"Probably!" Navi replied. "They've been seen around here. If it is, keep your guard up and wait for an opening in their defenses." Link nodded, and they kept going.

Finally, Link caught up to the raiders; sure enough, they were three Moblins: enormous, humanoid creatures with piggish faces, clad in black armor, holding spears. Unlike the Moblins Link had faced before, these three had the crest of a single eye on their armor. They were attacking a trade caravan that was returning to Hyrule.

At once, Link leapt from Epona, drawing the Master Sword and Mirror Shield; as it unlocked and cleared its sheath with a metallic _shing_, the Sword beginning to glow a silver-blue.

The first Moblin saw Link, and charged at him with his spear. Link deflected the spear-strike with a sweeping slice, then ran forward into the Moblin, sliding his Sword along the spear shaft, and slashed the monster, the Sword's power utterly annihilating it.

Suddenly, Link felt another attack coming; as the Moblin behind him swung his spear, Link's eyes flashed green, and he leapt aside, rolling under and behind the Moblin, then leapt into a leaping spin-strike, destroying it.

As the last Moblin prepared to attack, Link took one of the spears left by the slain Moblins, and threw it, impaling the Moblin's shoulder, pinning him to a tree. "Now," Link said sternly, "who put you up to this?"

"You...will...die..." the Moblin wheezed. "He...will...get...you...Lord Vaa-!!" But he got no further; an unknown force suddenly swooped in and pulled the air from the Moblin's lungs. The Moblin gasped, clutching his throat, trying to breathe, to finish...and then was gone, evaporating in death.

Slowly, Link removed the spear from the tree, and used his Forest magic to heal the wound in its bark; green energy flowed from his hands, mending the injury. The tree-spirit sent its silent thanks to him.

Link's thoughts returned to the Moblin; what had it been trying to say? Shaking his head, he headed over to the head wagon of the caravan. "Thanks, Link!" the leader said. "You saved our necks!"

Link smiled. "Any time." he said. "We all have to do our part." Then, the caravan continued on its way, and Link mounted Epona and rode off, heading towards Hyrule Castle, to report this to the King.

Far away, in the darker corners of Hyrule, in the forgotten Palace of Storms, someone had been watching Link.

That someone's single, all-seeing eye blinked, clearing his mind of that last scene. "That stupid Moblin..." the shadow hissed, "...he nearly revealed my name." He'd had to stop the Moblin, to silence him. He'd have done the same to that dratted Hero of Time, but he was too full of light for his dark magic to even touch him from this distance.

From the nearby table, one of the two cloaked in darkness spoke up, his voice a noble-sounding one, and his clothing betraying his privileged status. "Haven't you dealt with him, yet? How much trouble can one common-born whelp be?"

"That 'whelp' defeated Ganondorf." the shadow growled, angered at how Link had foiled his initial plans, forcing him to modify them. "But make no mistake: he will be dealt with, in time."

"We can't wait, sorcerer!" the second snapped, his clothing similar to the first, but his voice sounding younger. "We must move now!"

"Hush, my son." the first said. "Soon, we will have all that we wish: greater respect and prestige, much greater wealth, and _power_. And with no 'Hero of Time' to bother us."

"Listen to your father, boy." the shadow said. "You have no idea what's at stake, here. Once I rule Hyrule, you'll both get what you desire."

"We shall return to Hyrule Castle, before we arouse suspicion." the first shadow-noble said. "Don't fail us." Then, they both left.

Only the misshapen entity known as Vaati remained. "Oh, don't worry...I _won't_."

Before long, Link had rode through the archway that led to Hyrule Castle Town, passing through the Market of that bustling little town, on his way to the Castle. The Town, once ruined by Ganondorf's armies, was being rebuilt, slowly but steadily, returning to the prospering place it once was.

Link soon came into the Castle Outer Yards, outside the main walls of the Castle, its gleaming, ivory-white spires shining proudly in the sun. Link dismounted Epona and headed in, the guards letting him pass with a respectful nod. Link was about to go see the King, when he heard a beautiful, familiar melody. Link smiled, and took another path, heading to the Castle Courtyard.

It didn't take him long to find the secret garden...and there, lovingly tending her flowers, happily singing to herself, was Zelda Aurora Hylandia, Crown Princess of Hyrule, and the love of Link's life. Zelda was a fair bit shorter than Link, her perfect little nose only reaching his chin level, and her figure was flawless, slim and slender, her gown fitting just close enough to betray the outline of her slender but substantial curves; hers was a willowy, ethereal grace. Her long, silky hair was sunshine-golden, flowing down to the middle of her back, between her delicate shoulders, with two golden tendrils twisting down in front of her ears. Her eyes, framed by elegant dark eyelashes, were a glittering sapphire-blue, and her lips were flawless, a moist red that could shame the roses she so lovingly cared for. Her skin was a gleaming moon-white, with healthy tones of peach woven in, softer than the feathers of a dove. The upper piece of her gown was a deep violet, with golden shoulder-pads covering her delicate shoulders, and a golden tiara encircling her head. The gown's lower portion was a simple, slim, rose-colored skirt, covering her slender legs completely. Her hands were covered by long, rose-colored gloves, ending just past her elbows.

She was undeniably lovely.

For a moment, Link was content to simply listen to her singing; she'd always had a pretty voice. On occasion, just before their dates, Link would stop and listen to her like this, without her knowing. She sang more often when she thought she was alone, in her solitude. She simply sang when she was happy.

Then, Link stepped into view. "Hi, Zel." he said, using his affectionate nickname for her.

Zelda was startled, her last note fading as a squeak in her throat. Link hurried to her side, kneeling down with her and taking her hands in his. "Oh, I'm so sorry, sweetheart. I didn't mean to scare you."

Zelda's surprise turned to joy when she saw who it was, and she smiled happily. "Link! You're here!" she exclaimed, hugging him, blissfully sighing as Link returned her embrace. "How are you?"

"I'm fine." Link replied, his smile growing as he stood near her. "I was just about to go see your father when I decided to check up on you, first."

Zelda smiled her radiant smile, the one that could stop his heart in an instant and start it again in the same instant. "Why did you want to see him?" she inquired sweetly.

Link sighed. "There was another attack, today." he said softly.

Zelda's hands went to her mouth in horror. "Oh my goodness, are you okay?!" she cried. "Were you..?!"

"I'm fine, Zel. No-one was hurt." Link assured her; he hated worrying her. "It was just three Moblins. No big deal."

Zelda lowered her hands, fear still in her eyes. Her fingers sought his, and clung. "I just...I get so worried, Link." she whispered. "I don't ever want to lose you..."

"You won't lose me, Zelda. I'll never leave you, and I'd go insane if I ever lost you." Link replied. "That's a good part of why I patrol: to keep everyone safe, including you." He then brought Zelda's hands up, lovingly kissing her small knuckles, earning a happy blush from the woman he loved.

Just then, Link winced, as his right hand began to itch. Zelda noticed this. "Is it your hand, again?"

"Yes." Link answered, his face contorted with the irritation from the back of his hand. "It's been doing that off and on since my 18th birthday."

Zelda took Link's hand in both of hers, and brought it up to cup the side of her face, her hands keeping it there. The sensation of her feather-soft skin instantly soothed his hand, and Link saw her glittering eyes, so full of love for him, pure love. Link knew what to say. "I love you."

Zelda smiled happily. "I love you, too." she cooed. Then, she closed her eyes, leaning forward in blissful anticipation. Link leaned forward to meet her, as he gently embraced her, and her hands rested comfortably on his chest.

Their lips met in a tender kiss, the sweetest tasting of each other. Zelda suckled sweetly on Link's lips, and Link gladly reciprocated. Then, through Zelda's kiss, Link felt the tip of her tongue on his lips, shyly asking his tongue to come and play. Link answered her invitation, his mouth opening and his tongue delving into the sweet recesses of her mouth. Zelda gasped at first, then sighed in pure delight, and Link was glad that he could produce this reaction in the woman he loved.

After a few minutes, the kiss ended, but Link kept Zelda in his embrace, not ready to release this delightful creature just yet. "_Wow_..." Zelda cooed, happily nuzzling into Link's chest. Obviously, she'd enjoyed the kiss.

"I'll say." Link agreed, smiling, earning him another happy blush from Zelda, as he helped her to her feet.

"I...I just remembered!" Zelda said, still a bit dizzy from the kiss. "My father told me that tomorrow there will be a ball at the Castle, for everyone in Hyrule, to celebrate our new days of peace."

Link nodded. It was a good idea; it had been a month since Ganondorf's defeat, and Hyrule was recovering. It was a good thing to celebrate.

"And also..." Zelda began, "Daddy wanted to address all of Hyrule to thank you for saving us all from Ganondorf. He plans to name you 'Defender of Hyrule' for it."

Link grinned sheepishly. "Aw, Zel, he doesn't have to do that."

"Why not, Link? You saved us all – you deserve it." Zelda said. "And maybe now the nobles will give you the respect you deserve." Her tone became distressed. "You wouldn't believe the things they say about you! They think you're some...worthless peasant-squire, and it _hurts_ me to hear them say that about you!" She cuddled close to him. "You're the bravest, noblest, kindest, most selfless and wonderful man I could ever dream to ask for."

Link held her close. "Zelda, the only person whose opinion really matters to me is _yours_." he said. Then, sheepishly, he added, "Well...yours and your father's, because he could easily prevent me from seeing you, and neither of us wants that." Zelda nodded. "Which reminds me," Link finished, "I'd best go report to him."

"Okay." Zelda cooed, and then she gave him a loving kiss on the cheek. "Hurry back!" Smiling, Link nodded, and went to see the King.

Before long, Link had reached the throne room, and there, standing in the middle of the room, looking over a parchment, was King Andreus Nohansen Hylandia the Third, King of Hyrule, and Zelda's father. King Andreus was a bit shorter than Link, and a bit stout, with short, silver-white hair and a fine white beard, befitting a man in his early sixties. His complexion was light, but not Zelda's moon-white – she must have taken after her mother, Link guessed – and he had blue eyes. A royal gold crown was upon his head, and he wore fine white pants and a blue long-sleeved shirt under his royal red overcoat.

Seeing him, the King smiled, and Link promptly removed his cap. "Why, hello, Link." he said. Then, the King chuckled. "I was going to welcome you, but I see my daughter has beaten me to it."

"Pardon, Sire?" Link asked, confused. Then, he happened to see himself in a wall-mirror...and noticed the lip imprints from Zelda's kisses. "_Yipes_!!" Link cried, as he wiped them away. "Uh...um...uh...S-Sire, I can explain..."

But the King just chuckled. "No need to fret, lad." he said. "Believe me, I remember what it was like to be young and in love. I don't mind you and Zelda sharing the occasional secret kiss." His tone turned jokingly stern. "As long as that's all you share."

Link was horrified, as he blushed like mad. "S-Sire, I would never..!"

The King just chuckled again. "Oh, relax, Link. I'm merely joking." he said. "I know you won't do anything like that...well, at least not until you and Zelda are wed."

Link was relieved to hear that. Then, he said, "Sire, earlier, your daughter told me that you planned to make an announcement to Hyrule before the ball, tonight."

"Yes, that's correct, Link." the King agreed. "All of Hyrule should learn that its Hero of Time has come, and that he has saved us all. Which reminds me: many of the nobles have been inquiring about a certain green-clad 'squire' they've seen about the Castle, and have been complaining to me to 'put him in his proper place'. I think it's best that I broke the news to them; this must be cleared up."

Link's smile became a bit forced. "Sire, though I am honored by your plans, is there nothing I can do to dissuade you of this?"

The King sighed. "Link, the people of Hyrule are afraid. Yes, they are eager to rebuild, but they are afraid that something, like another Ganondorf, is going to shatter this fragile peace, which you worked so hard to win for us all. If Hyrule knows that the legendary Hero of Time has appeared, and is defending our country, they will, after seven years of darkness, have _hope_."

Link nodded, understanding the King completely.

"And, besides," the King added, laughing a bit, "the nobles have been complaining that there have been battles near their estates – no doubt your efforts to drive off raiders. Once they learn that the noise is Hyrule's Defender protecting them, they'll leave me be...or at least find something else to complain about."

Link chuckled, as well. "Well, Sire, I guess I can't really argue with you." Then, he sighed. "I just hope it doesn't backfire."

"Oh, you needn't worry." the King said. "Now, come – time to break the news to the nobles." With that, the King walked off, and Link followed.

When she'd gotten her father's summons, Zelda had hurried to the throne room as fast as she could. When she got there, she was dismayed to find that all the nobles and aristocrats of the Royal Court were there, as well. Zelda positively _hated_ being around them; they were all so arrogant, so petty and selfish, so sure of their superiority, so smug in their social status. And even worse, some of the younger nobles, once normal functions of the Court had resumed, had tried to enter negotiations with her father for her hand in marriage! Naturally, her father had refused, respecting her wishes to be with Link.

Zelda smiled at the thought of her beloved. Link was everything that these...snobs were not: brave, unselfish, caring, kind...his qualities were endless in her eyes. She would certainly sleep better at night, knowing that Link was protecting her, and all of Hyrule.

She was a bit sad that the Knights hadn't come; they'd gone out on a training exercise. Zelda had always liked the Knights, the brave warriors who'd sworn allegiance to the Royal Family. On the occasions, as a child, she'd been allowed to see them, they'd all treated her as if she were their own child; she'd liked to think of them as her dear surrogate uncles.

She'd been so happy when they'd accepted her relationship with Link.

At that moment, her father came in. "Zelda, my friends, I have something to tell you all." he said. "Zelda, my dear, I know that you already know of this, but our dear friends do not, so be patient with your father." Zelda nodded.

Then, she saw Link come in, and she felt her heart flutter happily at his presence. He looked every inch the Hero, his clothes the green of the forest he hailed from, the legendary Master Sword, the most powerful blade ever forged, the weapon no other man could wield, strapped to his back. His eyes met hers for a fraction of a second, and he smiled; it took all of Zelda's discipline that she'd learned in her etiquette classes not to melt then and there.

As Link came in, Lord Ruthlage, the eldest of the nobles present, stepped forward, his gaze falling to Link for a condescending second, before he looked away from someone he'd dismissed as 'common.' Ruthlage had short brown hair, brown eyes – the left eye rimmed by a gold eyepiece – and light skin. He was in his early forties, a bit taller than Link, but of similar build, with Ruthlage's frame not quite as athletic as Link's. He wore black pants, a white dress-shirt, and a long navy overcoat – he wasn't the flashiest dresser, compared to the gleaming outfits of some of the nobles.

Of all the nobles, Zelda disliked Lord Ruthlage the most. He was so arrogant, so cruel...and his son had been the most insistent on her hand in marriage.

"My King, we are truly glad that you have taken our humble advice." Ruthlage said, in his cold, aristocratic voice. "We are pleased to see your intent to put this...squire in his place." The other nobles nodded.

The King chuckled. "Oh, yes, Lord Ruthlage, Link will be given his proper place, but it isn't the place you think it is." he said, causing Zelda to smile knowingly. Her father continued: "I trust you recall that, a month ago, the tyrant Ganondorf was defeated."

"Why...yes." Lord Ruthlage replied, confused by the conversation's shift. "We heard that a single man slew him, but we never found out who. Oh, so this has a double purpose – to congratulate who slew him. So, Sire, which of us is the honored one?"

Zelda crossed her arms in disgust, trying to suppress a frown. Even after seven years of Ganondorf's rule, they'd learned nothing.

"_None_ of you slew him." the King said sternly.

Lord Ruthlage arched an eyebrow. "Pardon, Sire?"

"Ganondorf was slain by the Hero of Time," the King said, gesturing to Link, "who now stands among us."

The nobles, as one, all looked to Link...and burst out laughing. "Oh, Sire..." Lord Ruthlage said, between laughs, "it gladdens us, that...after seven years...you've not lost your sense of humor!"

"_Lord Ruthlage_!" the King shouted, silencing them all. "I was not joking. Link deserves our respect."

Ruthlage frowned. "Sire, it pains me deeply to see you deceived by such a charlatan. But since you will not believe me, I say this: if he is the Hero of Time, which I doubt, let him draw the Master Sword."

The King chuckled. "Why don't you answer that one, Link?"

"Yes, Sire." Link replied obediently. To Lord Ruthlage, he added, "My Lord, I already have!" And he unsheathed the Master Sword, holding the gleaming blade for all to see.

Ruthlage gasped from a sight he never expected to see – as did the rest of the nobles – and then his face hardened. "_Tricks_." he snarled, as Link sheathed the Sword. "Boy, all our ancestors tried to draw that blade, and failed. You expect us to believe that you, a _peasant_, did what we could not? That blade is a forgery."

The King sighed. "I was afraid you'd be that way." he said. Walking to a nearby suit of armor, he drew its broadsword, walked back, held it up, and tried to bend it, until he was red in the face. "As you can see, " he puffed, "this blade is as solid as can be." The nobles nodded, agreeing. "Now, Link, you know what you can do."

"Yes, Sire." Link said sadly, clearly not happy about having to do this. At that, the King tossed the blade up into the air. Like lightning, Link drew the Master Sword and pulled it back, charging its power, its light glowing brighter. When the tossed sword was at his level, Link unleashed a cross-body horizontal slash, letting fly with a crescent-shaped energy beam. The beam struck the sword, searing the metal, cleaving it effortlessly in two, the pieces of the broken weapon clattering on the ground at Ruthlage's feet.

"Thank you, Link." the King said. "Now, my friends, are you convinced?"

Lord Ruthlage picked up the pieces of the blade, gazing in shock at the seared ends of the metal. "It..._is_ the Sword..." one noble murmured fearfully.

"He's a..._magic-user_..." another whispered.

Ruthlage finally spoke: "That...is the Master Sword..."

Link shrugged sheepishly as he sheathed the Sword. "Surprise..." he said.

Ruthlage's glare snapped to Link, angered that he'd dared to _speak_ to him. Zelda, however, couldn't suppress her giggle at Link's joke. Ruthlage noticed this, and Zelda stopped, as she realized that perhaps Ruthlage had discerned something from her reaction. "Sire," the noble said, "will we allow ourselves to...associate with his sort? Are you allowing the common element to...fraternize with your own daughter?"

"To be honest, Ruthlage, I believe that we could all learn a great deal from 'Link's sort.'" the King said. "And as for my daughter, she is more than capable of choosing who she wishes to 'fraternize' with."

Now Ruthlage looked angry, as did the other nobles. "Regardless of what enchanted weaponry he pilfers or what vile sorcery he arms himself with, a peasant is a peasant." he snapped.

"Which brings me to your original request." the King said. "I'd intended to announce to all of Hyrule that Link is to be 'Defender of Hyrule.' I think it's quite fitting, since he's already saved Hyrule once. As such, he may come and go as he pleases, with my blessing."

Ruthlage looked like he was ready to blow his top. "Sire," he said, controlling every word, "are you saying that this _commoner_ drew the Master Sword by _chance_, and now you're making a hero out of him, and he can come and go _unquestioned_?"

The King narrowed his eyes. "I disprove of your choice of words, Ruthlage, but that is the idea."

"This...is...an _outrage_!!" Ruthlage yelled.

"It is my _word_." the King declared. "And, as such, it is _law_."

Ruthlage calmed. "I see. So there is little we can do about it." he said. "Very well, then, Sire, but I believe I speak for all other nobles here: we are _not_ pleased."

"I doubted you would be."

"All right." Ruthlage said. "By your leave, Sire." With that, he and the other nobles left.

King Andreus sighed. "All right, Link. You can say 'I told you so.'"

"I'm honored that you tried to get them to accept me, Sire." Link said. "If anything, I'd hoped you were right."

Link's words tore at Zelda's heart. Link was a kind and gentle soul, despite his fighting skills. He didn't want anyone to hate him; and worse still, the nobles hated him for all the wrong reasons. Zelda hurried to Link's side, embracing him. "It's their loss, Link." she said.

Link smiled, and Zelda's heart fluttered happily as his strong arms embraced her in return. "Thank you, sweetheart." he replied.

Zelda saw her father smile at them both, and then say, "Well, Link, I am truly sorry that didn't go better."

"It isn't your fault, Sire." Link said. "I only hope that it doesn't cause problems."

"I have made my intention clear, so they'll just have to deal with it." the King said. "Now, I'd best go check over the preparations for tonight." As he left, he half-jokingly added, "Now, _behave_, you two."

Link and Zelda were left alone, now. "Oh, _Goddesses_, I can't believe Daddy just _said_ that." Zelda said, blushing.

"Yes, he...kinda had a talk with me beforehand." Link replied.

"Oh, no..." Zelda gasped.

"Don't worry." Link assured her. "He didn't scare me away."

"Oh, good," Zelda cooed, cuddling closer to him, "because I couldn't live without you." Then, she noticed that Link looked troubled. "Link, what's wrong?"

"It's probably nothing, Zel." Link replied. "I just...I can't help but feel that...something's wrong. I don't know what, but it's there."

"Oh." Zelda said, and then her expression brightened for his sake. "It's probably just that you're worrying a bit after all the attacks."

"Maybe." Link agreed.

Slipping out of her lover's embrace, Zelda smiled flirtatiously, and said, "If you'll excuse me, lover, I have to go get ready for the ceremony; after all, I have to make myself pretty for you." Giving him one last loving smile, which Link returned, Zelda hurried off.


	4. Chapter 2

Author's Note: I'm pleased to report that my story has gotten over 40 hits in less than 5 hours! Thanks! And an extra thank-you goes out to my first reviewer, Time to Surrender! I'm glad you like the pairing, and I completely agree with you. Thank you very much! I'm hoping to get the next chapter up in less than a week, but reviews will make the updates come much faster. So, if you all like my work so far, please review!

CHAPTER TWO: BALLROOMS AND BATTLES

Link had never been so nervous in his life, even before fighting Ganondorf.

The time had come for the ceremony, and he stood outside the door to the throne room, where Zelda, the King, the Knights, and the rest of the Royal Court were waiting. Just then, the aide nodded for him to go in, and Link opened the mighty doors to head in, reviewing what he was supposed to say as he did.

The room was the same long corridor he'd seen with Zelda, as a child, where Ganondorf had falsely sworn fealty to Zelda's father. It looked different, from the inside.

Slowly, solemnly, he began to walk towards the throne, staring straight ahead. He first passed the Royal Guards, in their golden armor. Next, he passed the Knights of Hyrule, clad in their slightly dull steel battle-armor, weapons at attention, and, out of the corner of his eye, he saw them each nod in silent respect as he passed. Lastly, he passed the nobles, ignoring the glares they sent him. Finally, he stopped before the throne of the King, and the slightly smaller throne of Zelda next to it.

The King had kept his usual garb, and now held a royal scepter in his hand. Zelda, however, now wore a shimmery, deep violet gown, the upper part coming up to her collarbone, leaving her creamy shoulders bare, the sleeves covering her slender arms, the ends of the sleeves slightly extended, the entire dress accentuating her curves with perfect modesty, the long skirt trailing a bit more than her other gown. She'd kept her usual tiara and Triforce-shaped earrings, and her smile was sweet, her eyes twinkling and sparkling for him.

She was breathtaking.

Forcing himself to look away from the woman he loved, Link knelt before the King, slowly drawing his Sword and using it to steady himself, as he'd been told to do in the ceremony. "I, Link, wielder of the Master Sword, pledge allegiance to the Royal Family of Hyrule." he said. "On my honor, I vow to come to the aid of His Majesty in whatever he requests for the good of Hyrule, even at a moment's notice. I vow to protect the Royal Family 'til the end of my days, until my King release me, or death take me. I swear it." He bowed his head at that.

The King rose from his throne and walked down to Link. "A champion bound by an oath spoken with truth and honor." he said. "No kingdom or King could ask for more." On each shoulder, the King lightly touched his scepter to Link. "Rise, Link, Hero of Time, Defender of Hyrule. I accept your oath."

Slowly, Link rose, quietly sheathing his blade. By then, Zelda had walked down from her throne, walking towards Link and stopping in front of him, smiling shyly, her hands clasped in front of her.

The King seemed to read his daughter's intention. "Link, would you do the honor of being escort for my daughter for the remainder of this ceremony?" he asked.

"I'd...be honored, Sire." Link replied, fighting the crimson tint he knew was creeping across his face, matching Zelda's now-rosy complexion. He extended his arm to her, and she laced her arm around his, before following the King at a respectful distance. As they walked, he felt Zelda lean her head on his shoulder a bit, giving a small, happy sigh.

The nobles were not pleased.

In minutes, the King, Link, and Zelda were on a balcony overlooking the Castle grounds...where all of Hyrule had gathered. Link could see Gorons, Zora, Kokiri, and Gerudos among the Hylians, and he thought he could see some of his friends among them.

"People of Hyrule!" the King called out. "We have all come through a long, dark time, and now that time is over! We have all worked hard to rebuild our country and our lives! I know that many of you are afraid, that the darkness may return. I say to you now that you need never fear it again, for, after so many years, an ancient promise is fulfilled! The Hero of Time, the one who drove the darkness away, has come at last! He will protect our Hyrule from the darkness, so that none of you need ever fear it again! My friends, I give you the new Defender of Hyrule, the Hero of Time!" With that, he stepped aside, letting the crowd see Link, and the crowd let out a great cheer.

Link could only smile sheepishly, and gave a small wave to the crowd. "This is...kinda embarrassing..." he whispered to Zelda, without breaking his smile.

"I know; be thankful this is only the first time you've done this." Zelda teased sweetly. "Royals do this sort of thing almost every other day."

Link chuckled. "You poor girl." he replied.

"Now," the King called to the crowd, "I suggest we all disperse, to celebrate this day!" With that and more cheering, the crowd headed off to the festivities, as the King, Link, and Zelda headed back into the Castle.

By the time the sun had finished setting, as the rest of Hyrule's citizens celebrated with a fine feast outside, King Andreus and the rest of the Royal Court, including the Knights, his dear daughter, and Hyrule's new Defender, had sat down at the banquet table. Andreus sat at his usual place, at the head, and Zelda sat next to him, on the right, and next to her was Link, and next to Link were the Knights. On Andreus' left sat the nobles, beginning with Lord Ruthlage. Andreus was always at ill ease when dealing with the man; Ruthlage always had this manner where nothing about him was _exactly_ how it seemed. And Ruthlage's son, Caspian...that boy was the personification of everything that was wrong with the nobility and aristocracy; he was arrogant, selfish, haughty, assured of his own superiority, and lately he'd been insistent on trying to wed Zelda, likely from Ruthlage's aim for the throne. Again, Andreus was glad he'd chosen to let Zelda choose her own husband.

Andreus looked to his right, and smiled; every few seconds, Zelda and Link's hands would brush together for a fraction of a heartbeat, or their eyes would meet, exchanging loving smiles and unspoken promises.

They were so very much in love; it was all over them both. Andreus was so glad that his cherished only daughter had found someone worthy of her loving heart, her innocent soul. When she was with Link, her heart opened to the young hero completely; she was just like her mother that way...

Furthermore, Link loved her in return. The lad was perfect for Zelda, Andreus freely admitted. Link was honorable, true, brave, kind, polite, loyal, and he possessed a core of honor, and a strict code of ethics, as well as a nobility of spirit that made him trustworthy, a quality that one could not simply inherit, but had to be instilled and nurtured.

One which Caspian and all young nobles like him were sorely lacking.

Before long, the meal arrived, and the banquet began in earnest, as the nobles began their usual, mindless chatter, finally ceasing the glares they were sending Link. Andreus had to suppress a chuckle as Link struggled to keep his eyes open, bored silly by their gossip, while Zelda suppressed a polite little yawn.

When the meal was done, Andreus motioned for the band to begin playing a slow song, as Link and Zelda headed onto the dance floor; or, more accurately, Zelda led Link onto the dance floor, clearly excited to dance with him. Andreus also saw many of the younger nobles glare jealously at Link, with Caspian at the front. He was also surprised to see a few young ladies of the Court gaze longingly after Link. Andreus knew that Link and Zelda were now among forces who would rip their love apart, given half a chance.

"But not if I can help it." Andreus said softly, as much for his own sake as for those of the two young lovers.

"Link, come on! Let's dance!" Zelda giggled, happily leading her beloved onto the dance floor, her hands holding his.

"Uh...I don't know how, Zel." Link quietly admitted.

"It's easy!" Zelda assured him. By then, some of the Knights and their wives had joined them on the dance floor, as well as some of the older nobles and their wives. Zelda guided Link's right hand to rest on her waist. "You just hold me here..." she said, as her left hand went to his right shoulder, and her right hand interlaced with Link's left hand, her Triforce of Wisdom and Link's Triforce of Courage momentarily flaring from proximity, "...and we hold hands like this...and then just move with the music." Then, they began to slowly dance.

As they danced, Zelda was lost in Link's embrace; nothing else mattered. She felt so safe, so loved when she was in his arms...and he danced _divinely_.

Then, she happened to see that several other young ladies of the Court were staring at them. '_Are we so difficult to look at without staring?_' she thought. Then, as she looked into her lover's storm-blue eyes, a new thought entered her mind: '_He...really is that handsome..._' It was true: Link had the kind of face that any girl could gaze upon for hours...

Fighting her own insecurities, Zelda smiled, and said, "It appears the ladies of the Court are taking a liking to you."

Link chuckled, and his words soothed her worries instantly, as did his charming smile: "Well, someone will just have to explain to them that my heart already belongs to _you_."

By then, that dance had ended, as all participants applauded the skillful orchestra. "I'd...like to go freshen up, Link. I'll be right back." Zelda said. Then, feeling bold, she quickly kissed him on the cheek, before hurrying off, her heart singing.

After Zelda had left, Link put his hand to where she had kissed him, a goofy smile on his face. He felt like the luckiest man in Hyrule...

"I see someone's made a good impression."

Recognizing the voice, Link turned and found Lord Ruthlage. "My lad, I believe we've gotten off on the wrong foot, so let me start over." he said. He extended his hand. "Lord Ruthlage, Governor of the Western Estates. You needn't bow; I'm sure you're appropriately honored."

Warily, Link shook the man's hand; apparently, this was as polite as he got. "Link, citizen of Hyrule, and wielder of the Master Sword." he replied simply.

"I do hope you weren't terribly offended by my words, earlier. Shock made my tongue somewhat clumsy." Ruthlage continued.

Link nodded warily; clearly, Ruthlage was up to something, but he didn't know what. Link hated deception, but if he was going to deal with people like this, he had to learn to see through it more easily.

Lord Ruthlage sighed. "Sadly, I'm afraid my fellow gentlemen have...taken a disliking to you."

Link arched an eyebrow. "Can I ask why?"

"Oh, for several reasons." came the answer. "There's the fact that you drew the most powerful blade ever forged. Then, of course, there's the fact that you seem to have too much popularity among the...common folk, as well as the King, himself. And _then_, with the younger ones, such as my son, there is the fact that Princess Zelda seems to favor you too highly for their liking. From the way they're grumbling, I fear they may try to move against you, somehow."

"I see." Link said. "And why don't _you_ like me?"

"It's more of the fact that you're..._dangerous_." Ruthlage said coolly. "You seem to give the commoners hope, make them think they can be better than they are."

"Maybe they can." Link replied.

Ruthlage chuckled. "We'll see. Regardless, I simply had to warn you."

Link saw the threat as plain as day; this was Ruthlage's not-quite-so-subtle way of telling him to leave. "Well, my Lord, since you came to warn me, I may as well give you a warning for _them_." Link said flatly, making sure his meaning was clear. "They don't scare me. I've faced and _defeated_ things they've only seen in their nightmares, so their intimidation is wasted. They'd best get used to seeing me here...because I'm _not_ leaving."

Ruthlage's expression collapsed. "Very well." he said. "Have a pleasant evening, boy." Then, he walked off.

"Someone givin' you trouble, laddie?"

Turning, Link smiled as he saw Sir Cortez, one of the Knights of Hyrule, and one of Link's good friends. Cortez was of similar build to Link, and a few inches taller, in his late fifties. His hair was white and spiky, kept in a short rat-tail at the back of his head, as well as a light moustache, complementing his light-tanned skin. He'd lost his left eye in a battle, and wore an eyepatch over it, his right eye an emerald-green. He wore his usual battle-armor, made of plain steel.

"Oh, nothing I can't handle, Sir Cortez." Link replied.

Cortez glanced briefly at the retreating noble. "Well, ye handled it pretty good, I'd say. Haven't seen Ol' Fancy-Pants _that_ steamed since...well, since the last time _I_ talked to 'im!"

Link nearly burst out laughing. "'Old Fancy-Pants'?" he chuckled.

"That's what we call 'im." Cortez said. "One time, 'e comes up to me an' starts whinin' about how, oh I don't know, my horse grazed on part of 'is estate or somethin'. Finally, I get so fed up I just look 'im in the eye and say, 'Oh, blow it out yer ear, Fancy-Pants'. An' 'e hasn't spoken to me fer five years since, the _best_ five years I've ever 'ad!"

Link could barely keep from laughing at that. "I agree: he's...something else." he replied, once he could speak again.

"Aye, 'e's somethin', alright, but 'is lad, Caspian, could well be worse." Cortez said, his tone serious. "That's the problem with Ruthlage an' 'is kin; they're from a 'distinguished' family – their noses are so high, if it rained, they'd _drown_. The point is, Caspian is one to 'ave an eye out for. Fancies 'imself a swordsman, but ye can easily take 'im blindfolded."

"Then why be wary of him?" Link asked.

"Because 'e's 'ad 'is eye on Princess Zelda." Cortez said, causing Link to freeze. "Granted, His Majesty doesn't like 'im, an' Princess Zelda despises 'im, but 'e doesn't quit. That's one o' the reasons we're so glad you came along, Link; maybe _now_ 'e'll back off. That's part o' the reason why Fancy-Pants is so sore; with you around, 'e's lost 'is shot at the throne through a union with 'is son an' the Princess." Then, chuckling, he finished, "Well, that's enough ramblin' from this old man. Enjoy yourself, tonight, lad; ye've earned it." Then, Sir Cortez walked off, and Link opted to get some punch at the refreshment table.

Andreus was watching the ball from a distance when Lord Ruthlage walked up to him. "Why, hello, Sire." he said. "A lovely event, isn't it?"

"Yes." Andreus replied. Under his breath, he added, "It _was_."

"It appears that Link and Her Young Highness have grown rather...close." Ruthlage said.

Now Andreus' smile was genuine, as he recalled how happy Zelda had been, dancing with Link. "Yes." he agreed.

"I do hope she snaps out of her little infatuation and chooses a companion of _suitable_ social status."

Andreus sighed; he should have known better. "You really hate him, don't you." he said flatly.

Ruthlage put his hand to his forehead, as if developing a headache. "Sire, he's..._not_ a _gentleman_."

Andreus fixed him with a stern glare. "He may not meet your criteria, Ruthlage, but Link has many qualities that many nobles – many _Lords_ – do not; qualities that are infinitely more worthy than any that the nobility displays. And Link possesses these qualities many times over."

Ruthlage sighed. "Oh, Sire, surely we aren't going to have a repeat of yourself and the Queen Alara, are we?"

Andreus froze, his fury growing. "You forget yourself." he said dangerously. "I chose love, and I will be glad to give my daughter the same choice."

"Yes, the choice to marry a commoner, as the story goes." Ruthlage said. "But that isn't the _real_ story, now, is it?"

Andreus' temper flared. "Lord Ruthlage, I will say this but once." he growled. "Overstep this boundary ever again, and I will _personally_ send you packing out the Castle doors in the _nude_."

Ruthlage calmed, and humbly bowed. "My deepest apologies, Sire." he said. "By your leave." Then, at a nod from Andreus, Ruthlage left.

Only Andreus' thoughts kept him company, now. How had Ruthlage known the truth about his beloved wife – Goddesses rest her soul – now 17 years perished, the secret he dared not even tell his daughter? He knew the day was coming when he'd _have_ to tell her.

It was coming soon...and he had no idea how she'd react.

"So..._you're_ the Defender, are you?"

The voice was familiar to Link, resembling another. Turning, he found a young man, around his own age, with short brown hair, brown eyes, and the same complexion as Lord Ruthlage. He was about Link's height, but of lighter build, and he wore black pants, a white shirt, and a gleaming white-and-gold overcoat.

Link sighed. "I'll take a wild guess and say that you're Caspian."

Caspian's eyes narrowed, as Link saw him mentally determine that '_this peasant is far too insolent_'. "Yes, I'm perfectly aware of who I am!" he snapped haughtily. "Now answer the question!"

Link shrugged. "That's what His Highness keeps telling me." he said, trying to make jest of it.

Caspian looked him over. "You don't look like much to me."

"Opinions tend to vary." Link said calmly.

Caspian's eyes flashed angrily. "I suggest you watch yourself, boy." he snarled. "You may have the King fooled, but cross _me_ and you'll regret it."

Link simply folded his arms. "I'm scared. Really." he said flatly. "Can't you bother someone else?"

"Remember what I said, peasant." Caspian growled, and he stormed off.

By then, Zelda had returned. "Miss me?" she cooed.

"More than you'll ever know." Link said, smiling. "And you're as lovely as ever."

Zelda shyly blushed. "Flatterer." she giggled. Then, she took his hands in hers. "The orchestra is starting again, so let's go!"

But Link hadn't heard her; he'd sensed something, something dark...something _near_. His Triforce never lied, especially about this.

"Link?" Zelda asked, worry in her crystal eyes. "What's wrong?"

Link met her gaze, and, though he hated to worry her, he couldn't lie to her.

He told the truth: "_Trouble_."

At that, the main doors burst open, and a battalion of Moblins swarmed in. All the nobles retreated in terror, as the Knights formed a line, blades drawn, to protect the King. By pure reflex, Link stepped in front of Zelda, to protect her.

The King moved to the front of the Knights' line-formation. "What is the meaning of this?!" he demanded. "Who are you?!"

The lead Moblin spoke: "We are the soldiers of Lord Vaati!" At that, Link heard Zelda gasp, and saw the King freeze. "Our Lord demands that the throne and the Princess be turned over to him," he pointed at Link, "and that he be brought the head of the Hero of Time!"

"Zelda," Link said softly, "go with your father, you'll be safer."

"But..." Zelda protested.

"Zelda, _please_. If you're here, I'll worry about you and make mistakes." Link pleaded. "I'll be okay." Reluctantly, Zelda went to her father, and they both moved behind the line. Drawing the Master Sword and Mirror Shield, Link moved to the front of the defensive line, and answered the Moblin's challenge: "We will never let your master take the throne _or_ Princess Zelda, and if you _want_ my head...come and _get_ it!" The Moblins needed no further provoking, and attacked.

Link was a deadly, bladed dervish as he fought five Moblins at once, the Knights picking their own similar battles. Link blocked one spear, deflected a second on his shield, stabbed the third spear-wielder, and sliced the last two before whirling into a backspin strike to slay the remaining two.

Link then noticed a group of Knights fighting off Moblins...and saw three Moblins sneaking up behind them. Link drew his fine, oaken Fairy Bow, and fit three Light Arrows to it, aiming for a three-way spread-shot. He pulled the string back, and let them fly; the gleaming arrows seared into their chosen targets, eradicating the Moblins.

Turning, Link was horrified as one Moblin stalked towards the King, who was shielding Zelda with himself, facing the Moblin bravely. Link drew and extended his Megaton Hammer, charged his magic into the mighty sledgehammer, and slammed it down; the resulting shockwave traveled to the Moblin, knocking it into the air. Link re-drew his Bow and destroyed the Moblin with a Light Arrow.

Sensing a Moblin charging him from behind, Link leapt aside, drew his Longshot, and fired; the spring-loaded chain lanced out, snagged the Moblin, and reeled him back in, where Link destroyed him with a stab-attack.

By then, the Moblins were very few in number, and not a single Knight had been lost. Master Sword still at the ready, Link closed in on the remaining Moblins, as did Sir Cortez. "Laddie, let's give these vermin a good thrashing!" the old Knight declared.

"Fine by me!" Link agreed. Then, Hero and Knight both charged at the Moblins, ready to cut them all down.

The Moblins had finally had enough; they all turned tail, running out the doors as fast as their legs could carry them.

Once their foes were gone, Link and the Knights all sheathed their weapons. "Now _that's_ a party!" Sir Banon – one of the other Knights – declared.

"Aye! Darn good fightin'!" another agreed. "Wish _all_ parties could end that way!" That statement earned a few laughs from the rest.

Link hurried to Zelda's side, and found her trembling in terror. "He's...he's _real_." she whimpered.

"Who is?" Link asked soothingly. "Zel, what's wrong?"

"She's found out that an old nightmare is real." the King said somberly. "I myself thought the same...but Vaati is real."

Vaati. Link didn't like the sound of the name, but now he knew what the Moblin from early in the day had been trying to say...and what had silenced him. "Who is Vaati?" he asked.

"About five hundred years ago, a sorcerer named Vaati learned to command the wind and the darkness with his magic." the King said. "Instead of using his powers to help Hyrule, however, he tried to seize the throne for himself. My ancestor, the King of that time, led the army against Vaati's forces, defeating them, and then interrupting Vaati in preparing a spell to bolster his power. The spell twisted and mutilated him, until he was no longer a man, but a horrendous monstrosity with untold power. He overpowered the King, and would have killed him, had the first Sages of Hyrule not intervened. They imprisoned Vaati in shadow, but not before the sorcerer-thing swore vengeance on the Royal Family...an oath that has haunted us to this day."

"And now Vaati is back." Link finished. "Sire...earlier today, one of the Moblin raiders mentioned his master, beginning with the words "Lord Vaa-!!" before he perished. His men also were wearing the crest of a single eye. Forgive me for not telling you, Sire, but it hadn't seemed important at the time."

"There is nothing to forgive, Link. You couldn't have known." the King said. "What matters is that Vaati is back, though clearly not with his full power, else he'd have come himself. I'd best go speak with the Knights, and co-ordinate a search for his lair."

"What should _I_ do, Sire?" Link asked.

The King gestured to Zelda, a sorrowful expression on his face. "Comfort my daughter." he said. "I will return soon." Then, he headed off, several Knights following him.

Moving closer to Zelda, Link gently took her in his arms. "Hey, it'll be okay." he soothed.

"I...I can't believe it." Zelda sniffled. "When I was a little girl, whenever I misbehaved, Impa always said, 'Now behave, Princess, or Vaati will get you.' Vaati was the shadow behind my door, the monster under my bed, the thing every Princess had to fear! And he's _real_, Link! He's real, and he's coming to get me..!"

Zelda was nearly hysterical, now. Gently, Link kissed her forehead. "Over my dead body, he will." he promised. "Zelda, I won't let him even _touch_ you. If he tries to harm so much as a hair on your head, I'll make him wish he'd never even _heard_ of the Royal Family." And he meant every word; he despised Vaati for upsetting Zelda so much.

Zelda's fear subsided, as she nuzzled closer to Link. "Thank you so much, Link." she whispered. "You're so wonderful."

Just then, the King hurried back over to them. "Link, there's trouble." he said. "A citizen just reported another raiding party, heading for Lon Lon Ranch!"

"I'm on my way!" Link declared. To Zelda, he added, "I'll be back soon, Zelda. I promise." Then, he hurried off.

As she watched Link leave, Zelda felt reassured. She believed him; a promise from Link was worth its weight in gold. Turning, she headed towards her room, to retire for the night.

As she walked, she passed through a dark corridor, the darkness causing echoes of her fears to creep into her mind...

Suddenly, someone from behind her clasped a hand over her mouth, muffling her scream, forcing her to inhale a vapor from a flask being held in front of her. The gas dulled her senses; she was going to pass out. The last thing she heard was, "Lord Vaati will be pleased..."

By the time Link, on Epona, reached the outer gates of Lon Lon Ranch, it was two hours past midnight, four hours 'till sunrise. When he reached the gate, he found no Moblins, only one small man. "Sir," he called, "did you report the Moblins? Where have they gone?"

"Hee hee hee..." the figure giggled, "...oh, yes, young hero, I _reported_ them...but there never _were_ any Moblins."

"_What_?!" Link cried. "How could you..?!"

"Lord Vaati had to get you out of the Castle _somehow_..." the figure said, before fading away – an apparition.

Vaati! He'd done this, lured Link away so that he could move against the Castle...and Zelda...

Oh, Sweet Goddesses, what had he done?

"Epona, _hurry!! Back to the Castle!!_" Link cried. Epona whinnied, and galloped towards the Castle at her fastest pace.

Link _had_ to get there...though part of him knew it was already too late.


	5. Chapter 3

Author's Note: I am pleased to report that I have over 200 hits with this story! Thanks, everyone! Now, all I ask is that you please review my story! The more you review, the faster I will update! Don't be shy, people!

CHAPTER THREE: THE RESCUE

By the time Link got back to the Castle, the earliest sunbeams were starting to appear through the clouds. After dismounting and dashing into the throne room, Link found the King, sitting on his throne, looking as if he'd aged fifty years. The Knights all looked similarly glum. "Sire...what happened?" Link asked.

Looking up, the King said, "Oh, Link, I was a fool to listen to that man; I should have been more careful; I should have made sure Zelda was safe..."

"Sire, what do you mean?" Link asked. Then, he noticed something. "Sire...where's Zelda?"

"He took her." the King replied.

"_Who_?" Link asked, though part of him already knew.

"I think we both know who." the King said.

"Very good, Andreus."

The booming voice echoed through the room, and Link turned around, and beheld a large floating eye – the eye he'd seen on the Moblins' armor – shimmering in the air. It was an apparition, for communicating over vast distances.

"_Vaati_." Link snarled.

"Yes, boy; I am Vaati." the eye echoed. To the King, it added, "You should have heeded my demands the first time, Andreus. Now I already have _one_ thing I require."

The mention of his daughter re-kindled the King's fighting-spirit. "Vile abomination! Return my daughter at _once_!"

"You aren't giving orders, here, 'Sire'." Vaati mocked. "If you wish your daughter returned, my remaining demands still stand. I want your throne, and I want your 'Defender' disarmed and turned over to me."

"But..._why_?" the King asked, trying reason instead of rage.

Vaati chuckled. "My desire for the throne hasn't changed after all these years." he hissed. His monstrous gaze then shifted to Link. "And as for the whelp, he's interfered in my plans, and has to pay for it." His eye went back to the King. "You have until the week's end to comply. Fail to do so...and your daughter will pay for your hesitation." Then, the eye vanished.

The King sat back in his throne, motionless, lost in despair. "What am I to do?' he asked aloud, his voice broken.

Just then, Lord Ruthlage, Caspian, and a handful of other nobles came in. "I think, Sire, that it's perfectly obvious." Ruthlage said. "While I wouldn't recommend abdicating your throne, perhaps agreeing to his other demand will convince the sorcerer to drop his first one."

"Lord Ruthlage," the King said, controlling his anger, "are you suggesting that we hand over our own Defender, perhaps the only defense against Vaati's evil?"

"Some defense!" Caspian sneered at Link. "I say we disarm him, hand him over, and be _done_ with it!"

"And I suppose you'd _like_ that, wouldn't you, _pup_!" Sir Cortez roared, coming to his friend's aid. "You'd just _love_ to see Link out of your way, wouldn't you?!"

"I don't appreciate your tone, you old windbag!" Caspian snapped.

"And _I_ don't appreciate snot-nosed little cowards!" Cortez roared. "We didn't see you _or_ your high-and-mighty sort in defense of our King or the Princess, last night! No, you turned tail at the first hint of danger, you spineless little rodent! Link here risked his _life_ to protect the Royal Family! He is a _true_ Defender of Hyrule!"

"_Enough_!" the King roared. "All of you, _enough_! This isn't helping my daughter's situation!"

Link had opted to stay silent until then. "Sire," he began, "please, let _me_ go rescue the Princess."

The King looked incredulous at that. "Link, Vaati's lair, wherever it is, will likely be armed to repel an _army_..."

"...which is what Vaati is _expecting_." Link finished. "He wouldn't expect _one_ man. I can sneak in, rescue Zelda, and get out with her before Vaati even knows what's going on!"

"Sire, you can't be serious!" Caspian protested. "You're risking the Princess' one chance on...on _him_?!"

"Yes," the King replied, hope finally returning to his eyes, "and they're the best odds I've heard today." To Link, he added, "Link, son, my daughter is the only family I have left. Bring her home."

Link smiled. "Sire, I won't let you down!" he promised. With that, he hurried out of the throne room.

Within the hour, Link had mounted Epona and rode out into Hyrule Field...and then realized that he had no idea where Vaati's lair was. Dismounting near a tree, Link said, "Oh, Navi, I don't even know where to start looking!"

The tiny pixie darted out of Link's cap. "I wish I could be of more help, Link," she said sadly, "but no-one can remember where the Palace of Storms, Vaati's old hideout lies."

Link sighed, leaning up against the tree, wondering what to do...

'_Thank you_!'

Link jumped back, startled. "Who said that?" he called.

'_I did_! _Thank you_!'

Link then realized that this was the tree he'd used his magic to heal, the other day. "Did..._you_ say that?" he asked the tree.

'_Yes_!'

"Of _course_! I completely forgot!" Navi exclaimed. "Trees have their own root-network! They can talk to each other, and to anyone who listens! Link, that tree may know where the Palace of Storms is!"

'_The Palace of Storms?' _the tree asked. '_It's about a half-day's journey west of here. If you're going there, be careful._'

"I will, and thank you!" Link replied, as he mounted Epona, Navi darting back in his cap, and rode off.

By the time Link reached the massive Palace of Storms, night had fallen, making the dark citadel seem even more ominous, its massive central spire reaching up to claw at the sky. Its outer courtyard was surrounded by a wall with four searchlights, each operated by an impish Groblin, a cousin-race to the Moblins. The central building had two levels, as well as a spiraling path leading up alongside the tower.

Link dismounted Epona on a hill overlooking the Palace, kneeling low to avoid being seen as he planned his infiltration, Navi darting out to observe. "Link, look!" she squeaked. Looking down, Link saw a wagon at the outer gate of the Palace, loaded with empty wooden barrels – from what Link could figure, the Moblin driver was coming back from an unsuccessful re-supply mission, to store the empty barrels. "We can use those to sneak in!" Navi added.

Quickly, Link made his way down the hill, keeping low, out of sight. When the Moblin wasn't looking, Link hopped onto the wagon, staying low, and then popped the top off of one barrel, before flipping it over onto himself, hiding inside it. Lightly lifting up the top cover, Link peeked out; the Moblin hadn't noticed a thing, as he drove the cart through the open gates.

Once the Moblin parked the cart, he walked away, his stomach growling, allowing Link, still in his barrel-disguise, to hop off, unnoticed. "To get to the main complex, we'll have to go past those searchlights." Navi whispered. "If you keep still as the beams pass, they'll think you're just a regular barrel!" Slowly but surely, Link waddled towards the central complex in his barrel-disguise, the top open a bit to keep a lookout. When a searchlight drew near, Link froze in place, and the light passed by; to them, he was nothing more than a regular barrel.

After fooling two more searchlight scans, Link reached the door to the main complex. He flipped the barrel off him, putting it down silently, and headed in. Inside, Link saw a large treasure chest. Quickly, he opened it, and found a very long rope, with a claw-like hook at its end. "Wow, that's a nice Grapple Hook!" Navi exclaimed. "With that, if you can catch it on something, you can swing across gaps, trigger certain switches, or climb straight up to get the drop on some enemies! If you snag an enemy with it, you can use your magic on the rope and attack with it!"

Just then, they heard voices approaching. Link thought fast; looking up at the rafters, he threw the Grapple Hook upwards. It caught on the boards, and Link pulled himself up, out of sight, taking the rope in after him as he did.

Looking down, he saw two Moblins pass by. "Didja hear?" one said to the other. "Lord Vaati's got the pretty little Princess locked up in the main tower!"

"Wonder what he's gonna do with her." the other wondered aloud. "I mean, he _never_ lets anyone even go _near_ the tower." Then, the two just walked on.

"So, Zelda's in the tower." Link noted. "And the tower is on the second floor..."

"Look, Link!" Navi squeaked, as she flew to a door to his left, only visible at his current height. "I bet this door leads to the second level!" Nodding, Link payed out some rope, and then leaned back, then forward, building up momentum for a swing. When he was moving fast enough, as he drew near the door, he flicked the rope, and released the hook, momentum carrying him to the door. He then opened it and walked through.

Navi's advice had been masterful, for the door led right to the spiral path going up to the tower. Link began to head up the path, the searchlights unable to see him, until he came to a gap. Seeing a pole extended from the wall above the gap, Link tossed out the Grapple Hook and swung across, putting the Hook away as he landed. Continuing on, he came to a large door. He pushed it open, and entered the tower.

The room beyond was utterly dark, lit only by candles forming a branching path. One path led to a door like the one he'd just used. The other led to a door made of blue-and-black stone, with depictions of wind-storms on it, with a single keyhole. Walking to this door, Link looked it over. "This door has been enchanted, Link." Navi observed. "Only the proper key will open it." Turning, Link headed to the other door, opened it, and headed through.

The next room was much better-lit. There was a wooden, spiraling walkway constructed along the inside of the tower walls, leading up to the top, where there was no ceiling. The floor had an arcane pattern carved into it, likely in preparation for some unholy ritual. In the corner was a prison cell, made of the same blue-black stone as the other door...and there, within it, was Zelda, still in her shimmery violet gown, lying on the cold stone floor, asleep, her delicate head resting on her hands, her wrists bound together by a set of wrist-manacles linked to a long chain that was attached to the wall; the chain and manacles were both composed of that blue-black stone.

When Link began to slowly approach, Zelda stirred from her slumber. Her eyes were wide as she sat up to see who it was...and she smiled joyfully as she saw who it was. "_Link_!" she cried, rushing to the bars of her prison. "You're...you're here!"

"Zelda, are you okay?" Link asked, rushing to her, stopping at the bars. Their faces were only inches apart, now. "Did those..._fiends_ hurt you?"

"No. I've been here ever since I got here. No-one's come until now." she replied. Her voice turned sad. "I've...I've been so lonely..."

"Hush, now, darling. I'm here." Link replied. Reaching through the bars, he took Zelda's hands in his own, bringing them up to his face, and then kissing them lovingly.

Zelda smiled, lacing her fingers in his. "Link...I _knew_ you'd come. I _knew_ it." she cooed.

"Of _course_ I came! I _love_ you, Zel, and I promised you that I wouldn't let Vaati so much as _touch_ you, and I intend to keep that promise." Releasing his beloved's hands, Link moved to the locked cell door, drawing the Master Sword. "Zelda, stand back!" he instructed, and Zelda did so. Link pulled the blade over his head, and brought it down on the lock, to slice it apart...

_CLANG_!

The Master Sword's blade clanged uselessly off of the lock, the lock undamaged. "That isn't going to work, Link." Navi said. "This cell – and those manacles – are powered by a high-level binding spell; not even the Master Sword can break it. Only the proper counter-spell – in our case, the proper _key_ – will unlock them. Vaati likely didn't want _anyone_ freeing Zelda."

"Oh, Link..." Zelda said, stricken, "...you came all this way, put yourself in such danger..."

"A minor setback." Link said. He held Zelda's hands once more, looking into her saddened sapphire gems. "I'll get you out of this, Zel, I _promise_. I just have to find that key."

"Uh...Link?" Navi squeaked. "I think I found it."

Turning, Link was in time to leap out of the path of an immense, black-feathered bird, with razor-sharp talons, a wingspan the diameter of the room, and a large metal mask, covering its head, save for its razor-beak.

Around its neck was a blue-and-black key.

"Link, that's an Emperor Helmaroc! It's one of the deadliest birds of prey in existence!" Navi cried. "You can't fight it in here! You'll have to lure it to the top of the tower!"

"Okay!" Link agreed. To Zelda, he said, "Just hang on, Zelda! I'll have you free in a second!"

"Oh, please, Link, be careful!" Zelda called, as Link began to dash up the spiral walkway.

The Helmaroc flapped its wings, keeping level with Link as he dashed up the path. "RRRAAAWWWKKK!" it squawked, before diving at him, trying to rake him with its talons. Link rolled out of its way, and then used the Grapple Hook to swing over a gap in the walkway. After dodging several more dives, Link was about to come onto the roof of the tower, when the Helmaroc flew up and perched in his path, its beak ready to snap at him. Link knew the Master Sword couldn't smash that mask, so he used the next best thing; he unholstered the Megaton Hammer, pulled back, and smashed the bird's masked face, causing a tiny crack to appear in its mask. The Helmaroc squawked in pain, and flew off. Link then hopped out onto the rim of the tower. Seeing a lever-switch on a high pole, Link tossed the Grapple Hook at it, and pulled, spinning the lever, and closing the roof, creating a battle-field on the tower.

Just then, Link heard the Emperor Helmaroc's enraged squawk, as the massive bird of prey circled overhead, ready to attack. "Okay!" Navi squeaked, darting out. "Link, the Helmaroc's body-plumage is too thick to get through with the Master Sword, so you'll have to go for the head! Rope it with your Grapple Hook, shock it with some magic, pull it down, and break its mask with your Hammer! Then you can hurt it!"

The Helmaroc dove at Link, to catch him in its talons, but Link leapt aside. Drawing the Grapple Hook, Link spun it for a throw, and let it fly, catching it on the chain that held the key around the massive fowl's neck, and then sending a blast of magic energy surging through the rope, shocking the startled Helmaroc. With one mighty tug, Link pulled the Helmaroc down, released the Hook's grip, drew the Hammer, and with one leaping smash, he shattered the mask, revealing the red-eyed, rooster-like face of the Helmaroc.

Squawking in fury, the Helmaroc flew off, then flew low, creating a powerful gale in its path, trying to blow Link right off the tower. Link held fast, and when the Helmaroc tried again, he threw his Grapple Hook, lassoing the surprised bird, then stunned it and pulled it down. Drawing the Master Sword, Link unleashed a vertical slash, a cross-body horizontal cut, and a backspin strike on its head. The Helmaroc got up, enraged, then flapped its wings to hover, before trying to crush Link with its talons. When Link tried to use the Hook again, the Helmaroc batted it away with its wings. The bird then reared back, to peck at Link, and then dove at him. Link leapt aside...and the Helmaroc missed him, getting its beak stuck in the stone floor. The Helmaroc squawked frantically, trying to free its beak. Link drew his Sword, and, in one leaping attack, struck the final blow. Breaking free, the Emperor Helmaroc squawked in agony, taking a few wing-flaps, rising slightly, before disintegrating into feathers and black smoke. The key dropped down before Link, the chain gone. Link took the key, used his Hook to re-set the switch and open the roof, and then headed back down, to free Zelda.

When he got back to Zelda's prison, Zelda smiled radiantly as she saw him. "Link! You're alright!" she exclaimed.

"_Better_ than alright!" Link declared, smiling and holding out the key. "Hold on, Zel. _Now_ I'll have you free in a second!" Inserting the key in the cell door's lock, Link turned it. Instead of opening, the bars of the cell simply dissolved, leaving Zelda and her chains behind. Moving to Zelda's side, Link gently unlocked her shackles. The shackles popped open, freeing Zelda's delicate wrists, before vanishing.

Zelda smiled happily, before leaping into her lover's waiting arms. "My hero." she cooed, cuddling into Link's embrace.

"It's all okay now, Zelda." Link whispered to her, holding her close. "You're safe, now."

Zelda nuzzled closer to her lover. "If only that were true." she murmured. "My family isn't safe; Vaati will never leave us alone."

Then, Link remembered that the key he'd won might also unlock another door, and he was willing to bet his _cap_ that the blue-black door he'd seen before was where Vaati was lurking. "Oh, yes he _will_, Zelda. I'll make _sure_ he will." Link promised. "I know where he is, and I'll teach him a lesson he'll _never_ forget!"

"Link, _no_!" Zelda cried, burying her head in his chest. "Please, _don't_! Vaati is too powerful, Link! I...I couldn't stand it if I lost you..."

Gently, Link lifted Zelda's chin, to meet her gaze. "Zelda...do you trust me?" he asked.

Zelda nodded. "With my _life_."

"Then let me do this, Zel. It's going to happen, sooner or later. I can beat him _now_, so you don't have to be scared, any more. I can beat him."

Zelda smiled. "Okay, Link. I believe in you." she said. "But please...be careful."

"I will." Link promised. Then, he took her hand, and led her out of the room. Coming to the magically locked door, Link used the key on its lock. The key then dissolved, as the door opened, letting them pass through.

The room beyond was large and empty. Nothing and no-one was there. Link kept loose, ready for anything, as Zelda drew close to him, still fearful that the monster that had stalked her nightmares for her entire childhood might leap out at her at any second.

Suddenly, a voice snapped out at them. "You were foolish to come here, boy."

"You're the one who _wanted_ my head, Vaati!" Link snarled back. "Why don't you try to get it _yourself_, rather than kidnap an innocent woman and send your cronies to do it for you, you _coward_!"

"As you wish." Suddenly, a shadowy form began to materialize and take shape. When it had finished, Link and Zelda now beheld a hideous creature.

Its body was a large, blue-black, rounded bulk, with five outgrowths on it, exactly where its feet, hands, and head should have been. The first four looked like twisted and misshapen hands and feet. The _fifth_...the fifth was a human head, its face frozen in a terrified scream, frozen when the spell he'd cast had backfired. In the center of its body was a large, single, slitted red eye. This entity was a true nightmare-creature.

Vaati.

"Your insolence knows no bounds, boy." Vaati hissed. "And what are you doing out of your cell, Princess? I'll just have to put you _back_!" Vaati then began to float towards the terrified Zelda.

When Vaati was in range, Link drew his Sword and Shield, and slashed Vaati across the torso, driving the beast back. "I will _not_ let you hurt her!" Link declared.

"_So_! You _do_ possess the Master Sword!" Vaati snarled. "I'll have my vengeance for everything you've done!"

"_What_! What are you talking about!" Link demanded.

"You slew Ganondorf, the King of Evil." Vaati hissed. "Did it ever occur to you that there were those who had a vested _interest_ in his rule!"

"When he stole the Triforce...Ganondorf set you free." Link deduced. "And now you're sore about losing your master, losing the one to aid your plans. Without him, you're now nothing."

"You and the Royal Family have meddled in my affairs for the _last_ time!" Vaati snarled. "Now...you'll _pay_!" Then, Vaati took to the air.

"Zelda, stay back. I'll handle him." Link instructed. Zelda did so, giving Link his space.

Vaati hovered over Link, generating a mighty tornado around himself, trying to suck Link into it. Link drew his Bow and fitted a Light Arrow to it, then let it fly...only to have it blown aside by the twisting gale. "Navi! How do I defeat this guy?" Link called.

Navi darted out of Link's cap. "Sorry, Link, but I don't know anything about him!" she cried. "You'll have to figure it out on your own!"

Leaping out of the twister's path, Link got an idea. Taking out one of his blue, spherical Bombs, he lit it and tossed it into the tornado's path. The twister sucked it up, pulling it up to Vaati's level...where it detonated, knocking him down to the ground. Link dashed over and unleashed a flurry of sword-strikes on Vaati. Floating back up, Vaati began using the darker aspect of his magic; he generated numerous shadowy razor-tendrils, casting them at Link. Link leapt aside and fired another Light Arrow, this time striking Vaati and making him drop, where Link unleashed another slashing salvo.

As Vaati rose again, Link was confused. Any other evil creature would have been destroyed by that amount of damage dealt by the Master Sword...but Vaati continued on, as if unhurt, and his wounds were _regenerating_...

Vaati spoke: "You begin to _bore_ me, whelp! We shall conclude this another time!" Then, he vanished.

As Link sheathed his weapons, Navi did a little victory-flight around his head. "You did it, Link!" she squeaked. "You drove off the infamous Vaati!"

Zelda walked over to Link, smiling happily. "Oh, thank you, Link." she cooed. "You saved me."

Smiling back, Link took her hand and kissed it. "Any time, sweetheart." he replied, earning a happy blush from her. "Now, let's get out of here!" Then, Link led Zelda out of Vaati's chamber.

As they came out of the tower, Link spotted a pole he could snag with the Grapple Hook to swing to the outer wall of the Palace. Throwing the Hook and securing it, Link held Zelda close to him. "Hold on." he instructed. Zelda nodded, wreathing her arms around his neck, as Link leapt off, swinging them over to the outer wall. Releasing the Hook's grip, Link and Zelda landed safely on the wall, before Link threw the Hook again, snagging a tree branch, and swinging them outside the Palace walls. Putting the Hook away, Link gave a tiny whistle, calling Epona over. The fine mare whinnied quietly, trotting over to them. Link hopped on first, then extended his hand to Zelda, helping her up in front of him, letting her lean back against his chest, as he held the reins, his arms partially around her waist. Gently, Link spurred Epona on, and the horse began to slowly gallop away, so as not to attract attention, heading for Hyrule Castle.

As they rode, Link became aware of a wonderfully warm weight pressing against his chest; Zelda had fallen asleep, her head leaning back against him. "Link..." he heard her sigh happily, her ruby lips curving up in the secret smile of her dreams.

Link smiled to himself. So, she even dreamed of him. He felt Zelda nuzzle closer to him, allowing him to catch the wonderful fragrance she used in her hair: a sweet, subtle, feminine blend of lilacs and vanilla, with the tiniest hint of cinnamon mixed in. Gently, Link's arms held Zelda closer to him, in a more protective fashion.

He would never, _ever_ let anything happen to her.

Morning had come to Hyrule Castle, and Andreus hadn't slept a wink. Worry for his daughter's well-being had kept him up. Some of his most trusted Knights had kept watch in the throne room, including Sir Cortez, as well as the six Sages of Hyrule; once they'd heard of Vaati's attack, they'd come at once.

There was Rauru, the leader of the six, the Hylian Sage of Light. Rauru was a bit taller than Andreus, with the same build. He had short, white hair, and a white moustache, clad in golden robes, with ageless wisdom gleaming from his piercing blue eyes. Physically, he appeared to be the same age as Andreus, but he had been the leader of the _original_ Sages of Hyrule – no-one knew how old he _really_ was.

Sitting at the window-sill, looking out at the path to the Castle, was the Kokiri Sage of Forest, Saria. Saria seemed to be a young lass of 10, short and slender, with short, emerald-green hair, and green eyes, clad in a long-sleeved green sweater and matching green shorts. Around her head circled a winged ball of pink light – her guardian fairy, Andreus understood. Apparently, Saria was Link's best friend, ever since childhood. That would make her at least Link's age, yet she still seemed child-like. It must have been the magic of the Kokiri Forest, long fused in her blood, that did that. Sometimes, Andreus forgot what a land of wonder his kingdom was.

A few feet from the throne stood Darunia, the leader of the Goron people, and the Sage of Fire. Like his people, Darunia had a rounded body, but his frame was more muscular, as were his arms and legs, and he had white dreadlocks, and clear brown eyes. Andreus was Darunia's "Sworn Brother", as was Link; when he'd heard that both of his Sworn Brothers were in trouble, Darunia had made for Hyrule Castle as fast as he could.

A few more feet away was Ruto, Princess of the aquatic Zora people, and Sage of Water. Ruto's skin, like that of her people, was a very light blue, and as smooth as a Goron's skin was rough. Her feet were webbed, and on her forearms were shimmery fins. She looked worried; apparently, Ruto had been infatuated with Link, Andreus had heard, but once she'd learned of Link's feelings for Zelda, she'd stepped aside.

The only Sage that Andreus _really_ knew was Impa, who stood in the shadowed corners, in her element. Impa had long served as Zelda's loyal nursemaid and attendant, which she'd faithfully resumed when she wasn't needed as Sage of Shadow in the past month. Impa was a Sheikah, a race nearly identical in appearance to the Hylians. Impa was tall and lean, even taller than Link was, her eyes a clear silver, as was her long hair, tied in a bun at the base of her neck. She wore deep blue leather armor, with a short, curved ninja-sword strapped to her back. Apparently, Impa had once instructed Link in some of the Sheikan shadow-arts, including infiltration, for which Andreus was deeply grateful.

Off to the side, leaning against a wall, was Nabooru, new leader of the Gerudo people, and Sage of Spirit. Like her people, Nabooru's skin was a deep tawny, her eyes a deep brown, and her hair, tied in a long ponytail, a flaming red. She wore a simple gold-orange cloak, covering her completely. Nabooru had made it clear that she had _never_ supported Ganondorf, who had ruled the Gerudo before. What was most fascinating about the Gerudo was that, unlike the Hylians, the Gerudo's ears were _short_ – half the size of a Hylian's ear – and completely _rounded_. The first time he'd seen a Gerudo – Ganondorf, to be exact – Andreus had tried _very_ hard not to stare.

At that moment, Lord Ruthlage and his son, Caspian, walked in, clad in their usual finery. Inwardly, Andreus groaned. He didn't need this, especially not now.

"Sire," Ruthlage began, "it has been a _day_ since we last heard from that...from Link. Are you _sure_ your choice was wise?"

"More sure than I have been of anything in my _life_." Andreus said firmly; if anyone could rescue his daughter, Link could.

"With all due respect, Sire, I think you put _far_ too much faith in him." Caspian said.

At that, every Sage perked up. Rauru fixed Caspian with a stern glare. Darunia's eyes narrowed angrily. Ruto looked _very_ cross. Nabooru looked ready to _trounce_ Caspian. Impa's silver stare from the shadows could have _easily_ made Andreus' hair stand on end, had it been aimed at him.

_None_ of them had appreciated that remark.

The only one who hadn't moved was Saria, her gaze still fixed on the window...and as she spoke, Andreus understood why: "I wouldn't say that if _I_ were you," she said, "because Link's heading this way! And Zelda's with him!"

"_What_?" Andreus cried, overjoyed. But, before he could ask again, the doors to the throne room opened from the outside, as Link pushed them open...and there, beside him, was Zelda, unharmed.

By the Great Goddesses _themselves_, that boy worked _fast_!

"_Daddy_!" Zelda cried joyfully, rushing to her father, hugging him.

"Oh, my sweet daughter," Andreus exclaimed, "thank the Three that you're alright!"

Link walked slowly towards them, not wanting to interrupt the family reunion, smiling, glad that he'd helped. Once Link was in view, Andreus said, "Link, son...I owe so much to you!"

Link humbly removed his cap and bowed. "Sire, you owe me _nothing_." he replied. "It was my honor to do you, and the Princess, this service."

Releasing his daughter from their hug, Andreus inquired, "Were you able to escape without incident?"

"Only one incident, Sire." Link admitted. "I...encountered Vaati."

Andreus gasped. "And...you were uninjured?"

"Yes, Sire, though Vaati could not say the same." Link said, smiling lightly. "Though I did not slay him, I dealt him a sting he'll not soon forget."

Andreus was amazed – Link was _far_ more powerful than he'd realized. He was about to congratulate the young hero...when Caspian reached Link first. "You stupid _fool_!" the arrogant young noble yelled. "You've started a _war_!"

"_Caspian_! _SILENCE_!" Andreus roared; he'd had enough of this. "We are _already_ at war with Vaati." he added, more calmly. "Link has given us our first victory."

"Sire...I must disagree, respectfully." Ruthlage said. "If Link had simply surrendered to Vaati, the Princess would have been returned and this crisis _ended_." He glared at Link. "_Now_, Vaati is incensed by this loss, because of _him_. Who _knows_ when Vaati will strike next?"

Andreus was about to put Ruthlage in his place...when he noticed Link's expression. Before, the lad had always been patient; _now_, he appeared to have reached his limit, and it was about time, too...

"Oh, shut up, Fancy Pants."

Link's remark took everyone _completely_ by surprise; it was short, blunt, and to the point – _very_ effective, in Andreus' opinion. Lord Ruthlage's expression was absolutely comical, as his brain tried to process what he'd heard...

Just then, a familiar, unashamed belly-laugh echoed throughout the room. It was Sir Cortez, laughing his head off. "Lad, I couldn't 'ave said it better, myself!" he guffawed.

Then, Zelda began to giggle, trying to politely stifle herself...with little luck. Then, _Saria_ began to laugh, then Darunia, then Ruto, and then the _rest_ of the Sages. Before long, the whole _room_ was laughing, including Andreus.

Only Ruthlage and Caspian were silent. Caspian was indignant, and Ruthlage managed to choke out, "_What_...did you just _say_?!"

"Oh, I think you 'eard 'im the first time...Fancy-Pants!" Cortez gasped, before erupting in laughter once again.

"I...have..._never_...been so..._insulted_...in my _LIFE_!" Ruthlage roared, before turning and storming out. Caspian fixed Link with a murderous glare...before following his father.

Once the two nobles had left, Andreus, after stifling his laughter, said, "Well, spoken, Link. I could have thought of no better way to express that sentiment."

"I agree, Sire!" Cortez chuckled. "There are few things more humorous in life than a well-delivered insult!"

Once _all_ the chuckling had died down, Rauru spoke up. "Link," he said, "there are things that we must discuss. Please, accompany us to the Chamber of Sages." Then, with a flash of light, Link and the Sages were gone.

The Chamber of Sages had not changed. It was exactly as Link remembered it: the pool of water, the central Triforce-shaped pedestal, with the six Sage pedestals around it – gold for Rauru, green for Saria, red for Darunia, blue for Ruto, purple for Impa, and orange for Nabooru.

Each Sage now stood on their pedestal, with Link at the center. "I am sure that you have many questions regarding the wind sorcerer, Link." Rauru stated.

Link nodded. "Yes, I do." he agreed. "Was it really the Sages who locked him away?"

The other five Sages looked to Rauru; _he_ was the only survivor of the _original_ Hyrulian Sages, the ones who had sealed Vaati away. "Yes, Link, it is true." Rauru said. "We – the first Sages – arrived just as the King of that time had interrupted Vaati's spell, and his own magic turned on him, transmuting him. He isn't a mortal man, anymore, but a twisted shell, a broken being. That spell, however, gave him _great_ power – as he is now, not even the Master Sword can harm him."

"How can I defeat him?" Link asked.

"You must gather the Essences of Earth, Wind, Fire, and Water. They were what Vaati was trying to draw power from." Rauru replied. "They, ultimately, gave him his power; they can also take it away. The Earth Essence lies in the desert, beyond the Desert Colossus, in the Earth Sanctum in the Dindar Dries. The Wind Sanctum, home of the Wind Essence, lies in the Eastern Highlands. Deep in the Death Mountain Range, you will find the Fire Sanctum, resting place of the Fire Essence. And, on Hyrule's coasts, you will find the Water Sanctum, and claim the Water Essence. Once you hold all four Essences, you can strip Vaati of his power, and slay him, once and for all!"

"Then I _shall_!" Link declared.

"We Sages shall observe from here." Rauru said. "Hurry, Link! We do not know exactly what Vaati is planning. Find the Essences, and stop Vaati's evil!" Then, Link felt himself being transported out of the Chamber.

Link found himself back in the throne room, exactly where he'd left. "Link, what happened?" Zelda asked, and Link told her, as well as the King.

When he'd finished, the King said, "I see...so, you must leave on another journey, then."

"Yes, Sire." Link confirmed, his voice sad after seeing Zelda's saddened expression.

The King noticed it, too. "Please, Link, I insist: remain in the Castle for the night and leave in the morning. You should rest up before something like this."

"Sire..." Link began, wanting to stay and spend _some_ time with Zelda, but knowing that he _couldn't_ delay, "I think..."

"Make that an _order_." the King said, smiling.

Link smiled sheepishly. "How can I refuse my King?"

"Good! I'll see to it that a room is prepared for you!" the King said, and then he left. Link then looked into Zelda's eyes, happy that he could spend time with her, his own joy reflected in her eyes...

"Link?"

Turning, Link was surprised to see Saria there, looking worried. "Saria?" Link asked. "Is everything okay?"

Saria lightly smiled, before turning to Zelda. "Your Highness, could I borrow Link for a little while?"

"What's wrong, Sari?" Link asked, using his old nickname for his best friend. "Something's up, I _know_ it..."

Saria's smile became a bit less forced. "Link...there's something I need to show you...something we – the Deku Tree and the Kokiri – should have shown you a long time ago."

Now Link _was_ concerned. He looked to Zelda, who nodded to him, agreeing; whatever Saria wanted to show him, Zelda agreed that he should see it. Link walked over, standing next to Saria, who waved her hand, and in a flash of green light, they were gone.

Saria _hated_ having to do this.

Her teleportation spell deposited herself and Link in the deep green Kokiri Forest, a fair distance from the Kokiri village, at the edges of the meadow of the Great Deku Tree, the guardian spirit of the Forest. The Tree had told her that it was time to tell Link the truth about his origins.

Saria agreed that Link deserved to know...but this would shake him so _badly_...

"Sari, what's going on?" Link asked. "Why are we here?"

"Link..." Saria began, "...it's time for you to learn about where you come from; where you _really_ come from."

Link looked confused. "What do you mean, Sari?" he asked. "I'm a Hylian..._aren't_ I?"

Seven years ago, Saria would have said that the worst she'd ever felt was when her best friend had left the Forest to find his destiny.

But now, hearing that tone of doubt in her best friend's voice...it was infinitely _worse_.

"Please, Link...just follow me." Saria said, and she began to walk towards a part of the Forest that the Tree had specifically said _never_ to enter.

Link saw where they were headed. "_Whoa_, Saria, that's the Forbidden Grove!" Link exclaimed. "The Deku Tree said _never_ to go in there!"

"This time, it's okay, Link." Saria said. "You're going to learn _why_ it was forbidden." Then, Saria led Link into the Forbidden Grove.

The Grove was a wide, fairly empty clearing, surrounded by trees, with a path heading to the center carved into the ground, as if something had crashed there...and there, in the center, was a small, gleaming, purple-metal vessel, with graceful, curved wings, and a small opening, where its passenger would go. It was very small, small enough to only be able to hold...a _baby_...

"Saria...I don't understand..." Link said.

Saria took a deep breath. "Link...you've heard how babies are sometimes found in baskets, right?" she asked. Link nodded. Saria then gestured to the ship. "Well...you see, Link..._this_...is how we found _you_."

Link froze; he didn't move, his mind frozen, as he tried to process this. In that moment, Saria absolutely _hated_ herself for telling him. "But...Navi said I was a Hylian..." Link murmured.

"That's what we all _thought_..." Saria forced out, "...but we knew that no Hylian could ever use magic; when you started using magic...we knew we were wrong."

"_How_?" Link asked. "How did it happen?"

Taking a deep breath, Sari reached out and held Link's hand, softly chanting a memory-spell, to let Link see the events that she would now recall...

_Saria was walking through the Kokiri Forest, her guardian fairy, Lilia, flying beside her. "Where are we going, Saria?" Lilia asked._

_Saria smiled. "We're going to see the Great Deku Tree." she replied. Lilia squeaked in joy, as Saria and her fairy-partner continued on their way._

_Before long, Saria and Lilia stood before the Deku Tree, a tall, mighty redwood tree, with bushy eyebrows and a moustache in his trunk. "Ah, Saria and Lilia, how do thee fare?" the Tree asked, in his deep voice._

_'We are very well, Great Deku Tree." Saria said. "We hope you are, too."_

_"Thou art such a sweet child." the Tree said. "My dear, I have a request to make of thee; go to the grove nearby and look after Mido and Fado, there."_

_"Of course." Saria replied. "Is...something wrong?"_

_"Something is amiss; I feel it in my roots." the Tree said. "Events that are occurring in far-off places shall be of grave importance to this land..." Then, the Tree shook his branches, clearing_ _his thoughts. "Do not mind me, child. Go, now." Quickly, Saria and Lilia hurried to the grove._

_Soon, Saria reached the grove, and found Mido, a Kokiri boy with short red hair, green eyes, clad in a green tunic and shorts, with a green cap, there with Fado, another Kokiri lad, with blond hair and green eyes, clad in similar attire. "Hi, Saria!" Mido called. "We were just exploring, that's all."_

_"Wow!" Fado exclaimed, pointing up at the sky. "Look at that!"_

_Looking up, Saria saw what Fado was pointing at: up in the sky, there was a glowing red, burning sphere descending from high in the sky. Saria had heard the Deku Tree call them "shooting stars."_

_Saria was amazed as well...until she made a horrifying discovery. "It's heading THIS way!" she cried. Quickly, she grabbed Mido and Fado's hands, and ran out of the grove as fast as she could, taking them with her._

_They'd escaped not a moment too soon; seconds after, the shooting star struck the grove with a loud CRRAASSHH! The impact sent dust and earth flying everywhere, knocking the three of them down._

_Saria was the first to recover, followed by Mido and Fado, who were both in tears. "That was scary!" Mido wailed._

_"I thought I was gonna die!" Fado cried._

_Slowly, Saria got up, and began to walk back into the grove. "Are you nuts?!" Mido wailed._

_"I want to see what happened." Saria said. With that, she headed back into the grove, followed by Mido and Fado._

_When Saria reached the grove, she was utterly astounded: there in the center of the grove, was a small, gleaming, purple-metal object, with graceful, curved wings. It was a ship, of some sort._

_And there were noises coming from inside it._

_"There's something ALIVE in there!" Mido cried._

_"It's a MONSTER, I know it!" Fado cried. Suddenly, a panel opened on the tiny ship, allowing them to hear the noises..._

_"WAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH! WAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!"_

_Saria was surprised to hear that noise; it didn't sound any different from when a new Kokiri came into being from the Tree's life force. Slowly, Saria walked over, looked in...and found a little baby boy in the ship, clad only in black, one-piece pajamas, a long, golden medallion about his neck, with the crest of a golden merlin-falcon, diving at its prey, its talons ready, a gleaming star behind it. He had light skin, straw-blond hair, and blue eyes._

_And he was bawling his eyes out._

_Gently, softly cooing to him, Saria picked up the little boy; almost at once, he stopped crying. Gently looking at his pendant, Saria saw the word 'Link' written on it. "So...your name is Link, is it?" she asked, smiling. The instant he heard his name, the little baby burst into giggles. Turning to her friends, Saria said, "We'd better tell the Deku Tree." Quickly, the three Kokiri, with their new friend, hurried to the Deku Tree._

_Once they'd reached the Tree, they told him everything. "Indeed..." the Tree mused, "'twas not mere chance that sent this babe here; this is a child of destiny, who shall affect all the world. We shall raise young Link as a Kokiri, until he begins to inquire about his origins. Until then, NO Kokiri shall enter that grove, understood?"_

_"Understood." the three Kokiri answered._

_The Tree chuckled. "So, Navi the fairy, it seems there is a purpose for your coming here, after all."_

_At that, a little blue ball of winged light darted out. Saria was amazed; most forest-fairies, like Lilia, were pink. "I told you!" the fairy – Navi – squeaked. "Queen Epheremelda sent me here for a reason!"_

_"Indeed, that must be so." the Tree agreed. "Now, my children, go, and speak of this to no-one. All must believe that Link is a true Kokiri." The three Kokiri nodded, and hurried off, little Link still in Saria's arms._

Saria took a deep breath, as the spell ended. "It's hard to believe you were ever that little..."

Link was silent for a moment, and then, "Navi...you knew, too?"

Navi drooped in her flight. "I'm so sorry, Link." she sniffled. "I didn't know how to tell you..."

Link simply scooped Navi onto his shoulder, in a comforting gesture. "It's okay, Navi." he soothed. Then, he turned to Saria. "So...what..._am_ I?"

Saria could barely hold back her tears. "_I don't know..._" she sniffled. She ran to her best friend, hugging his legs. "I'm so sorry I didn't tell you..." she sobbed, "...please, don't hate me..."

"'Hate you'?" Link replied. He knelt down and hugged Saria. "Sari, you're my _best friend_. I could _never_ hate you."

Saria softly smiled. "I wish we'd told you, sooner..."

"I don't think I could have handled it any sooner." Link replied. "You made the right decision." He smiled. "I'm glad you told me, Sari. Now, I just need to figure out _who_ I am."

Saria smiled. "Who you are hasn't changed, Link; you're still the Hero of Time, the greatest, most heroic warrior in the _world_!"

Link chuckled. "Thanks, Saria."

Then, Saria remembered something. "Oh, I almost forgot!" She reached into her pocket, and took out the medallion she'd found with Link on that day. "I think you should have this." She handed the medallion to him.

Link took it, and laced it around his neck, before looking at its crest, considering it...and then tucking it under his tunic. "Thank you." he said. Saria just smiled, and then teleported them both away, back to Hyrule Castle.

Night had quickly fallen over Hyrule Castle; the skies were clear, and the stars were out. Zelda had always loved watching the stars as a child, and even more so when Link had pointed out all the constellations to her.

Zelda had changed into a blue version of her previous gown, with a silvery shawl wrapped around her shoulders, to keep her warm as she leaned on the balcony, outside, away from the noise inside...

"May I join you, Milady?"

Zelda sighed inwardly in annoyance as Caspian walked out on the balcony. Caspian was part of the noise she was trying to avoid. Still, though she despised him, for her father's sake, she had to be _somewhat_ courteous. "The balcony is free." she replied neutrally.

Out of the corner of her eye, Zelda saw Caspian smile, and suppressed a groan for having encouraged him.

"It's a nice night, isn't it?" Caspian said, idly.

"Yes," Zelda said, before softly adding, "it _was_."

"Milady, I've been meaning to catch you alone for quite some time." Caspian continued. Zelda felt a chill run down her spine at those words. Sensing her discomfort, Caspian added, "To talk."

Her worries somewhat eased, Zelda asked, "About _what_?"

Caspian smiled, and, in a move he surely _thought_ was suave, took both of her hands in his. "_Us_." he said.

Suppressing her disgust, Zelda removed her hands from Caspian's. "Caspian, there _is_ no 'us'." she said firmly. "And if _that_ is all you wish to say, then I suggest you remove yourself from my presence."

Frowning, Caspian folded his arms. "Princess Zelda, we've both been skirting around this issue for _far_ too long." he said flatly. "I suggest that we finally set things straight."

"I couldn't agree more!" Zelda declared angrily. "Caspian, I suggest you listen well, for I will only say this _once_: I'm with _Link_, and nothing will change that!"

Caspian just rolled his eyes. "Princess, stop the nonsense." he said. "Why not stop your silly little games with that peasant and agree to a union with someone more...befitting of one such as yourself."

Zelda's eyes narrowed. "Like _you_!" she snapped.

"Why not?" Caspian said smugly. "My family is the noblest in Hyrule, next to _yours_, of course. You could do much worse than myself."

"I could also do much _better_." Zelda retorted. "Now _leave_."

Caspian's eyes narrowed. "My Lady, surely there isn't going to be a repeat of your father and the late Queen, is there?" Zelda froze at that remark. "I would save you that scandal. Think about it." With that, he left.

Now Zelda was alone with her thoughts. She'd never known her mother, Queen Alara – she'd died giving birth to her. When her parents had been married, Alara's lineage had never been made public, though her father had assured everyone that Alara's lineage was royal. Because of that, there had been rumors of how Alara was not of royal _or_ noble blood. All her life, Zelda had wanted to know who her mother _really_ was, what kind of person she'd been in life...but she would never know. And that, at times, made her so terribly insecure, and Caspian's words had hit her so hard. She tried to keep calm, but she just couldn't keep her silent tears from falling.

"Zelda?"

Zelda didn't turn at Link's call – she didn't want him to see her tears, didn't want to be so embarrassed in front of her true love, the man who meant _everything_ to her.

"Zel, what's wrong?" Link asked. "Why won't you talk to me?" He walked over, and gently placed his hand on her shoulder. Zelda had always been amazed at how gentle Link's touch was, how wonderful he always made her feel. Turning slightly, she let her teary gaze meet his.

Link's expression instantly filled with loving concern, making it even _harder_ for Zelda to stop her tears. "Zelda, what's wrong?" he asked softly.

"_Caspian_." she sniffled. "He...he tried to convince me...to accept his marriage proposal. When I refused...he...he mentioned how I shouldn't be repeating what happened with _my_ parents."

Link's confused look at her last statement bade her to explain further. "My mother, Queen Alara, kept her lineage private – no-one knew who she was. There were always...rumors about..." She couldn't finish. "My mother died at birth, Link. I never knew her at all."

"And that little...that Caspian practically threw dirt on her name." Link growled. Zelda could see the anger in his eyes, directed at Caspian. "I should have _trounced_ that little windbag the minute I got back."

Zelda managed to laugh lightly. "That wouldn't have changed anything." she sniffled. "There's...always been a part of my life missing, Link. I've always felt..."

"You felt like something was missing."

Link's words stopped Zelda's tears. "Excuse me?" she asked.

"All your life, you felt like something was missing, several chapters left out of your story." Link said firmly, like he knew far too much of what he was talking about. "You wondered why it was missing, and what it was, what it meant about you, whether it meant you were a good person or a bad person." His expression became terribly sad. "Zelda...today I found out something." He leaned in close to her, and whispered the story in her ear, only for her.

Zelda was utterly amazed.

"Zelda, I've always wondered who my parents were, now more than ever." Link said, after he'd finished. "All I know was that I landed in Kokiri Forest, all alone. Did my parents send me there for a reason? Did they die sending me here? Or...did they just...not want me?" His gaze met hers. "I know what it means to wonder about yourself, Zel. I _know_ how you feel."

Could it be true? Even with all those wonderful things about Link, could he _truly_ know what it was like? And then, Zelda knew that it was true. For most of his life, Link had assumed he was a Kokiri, then thought he was a Hylian, and now,_ that_ might not be true. That discovery had roused many questions in him, which not even the wise Deku Tree could answer. At least Zelda had her father, the knowledge and presence of _one_ parent. But _Link_...

...Link was a complete enigma to himself.

"But you know what, Zel?" Link asked. "It doesn't matter who your mother was, really." Holding her hands, he added, "What matters is who _you_ are." He smiled. "And _you_, Zelda, are the kindest, sweetest, most loving, most beautiful, most wonderful woman I've ever known. Your mother would be very proud of you."

What soothing magic those simple words could carry! Zelda nuzzled into her beloved, letting him embrace her. "Oh, Link...you have no idea how much I needed that." she whispered. "I love you so much."

"And I love _you_, Zelda. Don't ever forget that." Link said. "And if that tarted-up little weasel ever harasses you again, I'll personally boot his scrawny rear-end into _orbit_."

Zelda laughed at that. "My hero." she cooed. Then, she met his eyes; oh, how easily she could lose herself in that storm-blue gaze of his. Every time she looked in his eyes, her knees weakened, and she felt utterly helpless. Link had always had that power; he always knew exactly how to make her happy.

She couldn't _live_ without him.

Then, Zelda saw Link's eyes soften, and she knew why – she felt her own desires flaring, as well, and their lips met in a passionate kiss. The kiss was so soft, so tender, and yet _incredibly_ powerful, their mouths lovingly devouring each other, their tongues playing their exquisite game.

Slowly, the kiss ended, as their lips parted, their embrace still holding. Zelda had to fight to catch her breath; they'd _never_ shared a kiss_ that_ intense, before, and by the look of Link, it had affected _him_, too.

"Zelda, are you...okay?" Link asked, catching his breath.

"Oh, _yes_." Zelda cooed, her voice a bit too sultry for her liking. Quickly, she laughed it off, though in truth, it was taking time for the intensity of the kiss to fully wear off. She knew her face was flushed, and her heart was still racing...

"Did I...upset you?" Link asked, his face worried.

"'Upset me'?" Zelda repeated, confused. Then, she understood. "Oh, _no_!" Zelda cried, shaking her head. "Oh, sweet Nayru, _no_, Link!" She nuzzled into his chest. "You haven't upset me at _all_. It's just...I never thought you could actually..._desire_ me." And it was true – she'd felt true desire in his kiss. And, as much as it had surprised her, it had done _wonders_ for her self-esteem.

"How can you _doubt_ it?" Link asked. "But I don't want to pressure you into _anything_, Zelda. Honestly, that...aspect of our relationship hadn't even crossed my mind. I am perfectly willing to wait until we're married." Then, his face went pale. "Which, of course, is assuming you _do_ want to get married, which is _completely_ up to you!"

Zelda had to giggle at Link's funny babbling. "Oh, you're so funny." she cooed. "And I understand, as you do, that we have plenty of time to decide on our future together."

That seemed to calm Link. "I know." he said. "I just wanted you to know that I won't ever pressure you."

"I know you won't." Zelda said, smiling.

Then, Link said, "Well, I...I guess I'd better go check on Epona; she's used to being outdoors, and she might get nervous."

"Okay." Zelda replied. Smiling, she added, "I really do love you."

Grinning his charming grin, Link sweetly stole one last kiss from her, before adding, "And I love _you_." Then, he headed for the stables.

Alone once more, Zelda finally allowed herself to indulge in one happy, utterly girlish squeal of joy. She didn't care who heard her, she was just so _happy_. Link's words had both soothed her insecurities and brought her joy to levels she'd never _dreamed_ of. Link not only loved her, he _desired_ her, and he'd already considered marriage, if only briefly. Keeping her happy smile, Zelda looked up at the stars.

Tonight had been _perfect_.

From his hiding spot behind a pillar, Caspian had heard it all. He'd heard Link speak to Zelda, as well as the peasant's threat to "boot him into orbit." Then, he'd actually seen the peasant _dare_ to lay his hands on Zelda, _his_ Zelda!

Furthermore, he'd heard enough to realize that, despite her fiery words, Zelda was quite vulnerable. Once Link was permanently removed – and if all went according to plan, he _would_ be – Zelda would collapse, and readily accept his comforting embrace...and she'd be _his_.

Walking away, Caspian went to go find that peasant, to give him a small taste of the defeat he'd soon receive.

Insulting his family was _one_ thing...but touching _his_ Princess was quite another.

Link having a future with Zelda? Not if _he_ could help it.

To Link's relief, Epona had taken to the stable easily, so he'd given her some fresh hay and water, given her a good brushing, covered her in a blanket, and bade her good-night, closing the stable as he left.

Stopping, Link looked up at the starry night sky, thinking of Zelda. She really made him happy; he'd meant every word he'd spoken to her...

"Out for a bit of night air?"

Groaning, Link turned to find Caspian there, only this time, the arrogant noble had strapped a rapier to his belt. Calmly, Link arched an eyebrow. "Out for some night gardening?" he parried.

Caspian's eyes narrowed. "I think," he began, "that I've had _enough_ of your insolence, peasant. It's high time you learned your place."

"Oh really?" Link said calmly, crossing his arms. "And who's going to teach me? _You_?"

"That _does_ it!" Caspian snarled. "_You_, peasant, shall learn to respect those better than you are!" With that, he rushed at Link with a stab attack.

Calmly, Link stepped to the side, letting the attack pass him, then grabbed Caspian's sword-hand with both hands, twisting his wrist back on itself. Caspian screamed in agony, his rapier falling from his now-nerveless fingers. Link let go, letting his defeated opponent fall to the ground.

"'Better than me'?" Link repeated, his eyes narrowing. His voice turned cold. "Better at _what_?" he growled. "I suggest you keep that blade sheathed for show, Caspian, for in hands as incompetent as yours, that's _all_ it's good for." Then, Link walked away, back into the Castle.

In the throne room, as Link came in, the King walked over to him. "Are you all right, Link? You seem troubled."

"Sire," Link replied, "when Caspian comes inside, I'd advise you to advise _him_ to reduce his wine consumption."

The King looked concerned. "Did he...start a quarrel with you?"

"He _tried_. He's wounded mostly in pride, though his wrist will be sore for a few days." Link said. Then, he added, "Sire, one thing still worries me: _how_ did Vaati kidnap Zelda in the first place?"

"I honestly don't know." the King replied. "It reminded me of seven years ago, when the first battle against Ganondorf began. Somehow, the main gates opened, letting his entire army into the Castle. We barely escaped with our lives."

"Did...someone..._let_ him in?" Link asked. "Were you..._betrayed_?"

"I can offer no other explanation."

Link had a horrible thought. "Sire...what if that same betrayer is still here? What if..._he_ let Vaati in?"

"It's possible." the King said. "Lad, you'd best get to your chamber and retire; you've a long journey ahead of you. As for myself...I'll have an eye out while you're gone."

"Thank you, Sire." Link said, bowing. Then, he headed to his room, to turn in.


	6. Chapter 4

Author's Note: Due to my computer needing maintenance, I'm afraid that I will be out of commission from Monday to sometime on Tuesday, possibly longer (but hopefully not). I'm sorry, everyone. I promise that I will try to update as soon as I can. In the meantime, please review! Thank you to all those that have reviewed so far! I hope to get more input from you! Thanks for understanding!

CHAPTER FOUR: DISCOVERY

The sun was blazing, and the sands only amplified the effects of the sun as Link trekked across them, a white cloak and hood over his regular clothes, to shield him from the sun.

It was mid-day, and he still hadn't found the Dindar Dries. He'd left Hyrule Castle at early morning, using the Requiem of Spirit, the song that brought him to the Desert Colossus, as a short-cut, and had gone from there.

It had been _hours_, and Link was parched. Then, as if in answer to his unspoken prayers, he saw a single palm tree in the distance, with a pool of water at its base: an oasis. With renewed energy, Link rushed to the oasis, knelt at the pool's edge, and took quite a few large handfuls of the sweet water, quenching his thirst.

He happened to look up as he drank...and saw the outlines of mighty rock formations in the distance, the sand turning to pebbles.

The Dindar Dries.

After drinking his fill and filling his canteen with the precious liquid, Link headed for the Dries. Before long, he'd reached them, walking into the vast canyons of the Dries. As he walked, he got the distinct impression that he was the only living person in the entire Dries; he was, save for Navi, all alone.

Finally, he came to the end of the canyon, and there, carved into the rock, was the front of a magnificent temple: the Earth Sanctum. Walking towards it, Link headed inside.

Inside the Sanctum, Link removed his cloak, folding it up and putting it away, no longer needing it. The interior of the Sanctum was made of the same golden-brown rock as the rest of the Dries, and it was very dark inside, numerous rock columns holding up the roof, the darkness illuminated by only a few torches. Cautiously, Link headed through the next door; he'd have to be careful.

The next room was completely empty; nothing was there, including the next door. He was about to turn back when the door sealed shut behind him! Then, sand began to flood into the room at an incredible rate; it would be flooded in mere _minutes_! Looking for a way out, Link saw a Grapple-Hook point descend from a hole in the ceiling. Taking a chance, Link threw his Grapple Hook at it, catching it, and then leaping off, swinging back and forth. His weight triggered some switch, and he felt the grapple-point begin to rise to the next floor, taking him to safety. Link quickly climbed up his rope, but the grapple-point was going too slow; at this rate, he'd be buried before he escaped. '_It's too slow!_' Link thought. '_It has to go...FASTER!_'

His desperate thought kindled some unknown power in himself; his hands glowed silver, and the silver energy flowed up to the grapple-point from him, energizing it and pulling him to safety at lightning speed. Soon, he was on the next level, the path behind him safely sealed, as Link leapt to the floor, releasing his Hook and putting it away.

"_Wow_!" Navi exclaimed, darting out of Link's cap. "Link...not only do you have elemental magic powers, but...you have _Time_ Magic!"

"What's Time Magic?" Link asked.

"You can manipulate the flow of Time itself!" Navi exclaimed. "You just used the spell 'Speed-Up', which makes time go faster for what the spell is being cast upon. I bet you're capable of using the Slow-Down spell, and even the Stop spell! You'll probably learn even _more_ as you go on!"

Navi's words amazed Link, as he looked at his hands, now more aware of the power of the magic he wielded. "I'll have to be _careful_ with this." he murmured. Then, he kept going, deeper into the Sanctum.

The next room was an uphill incline, with a pit ahead of Link. Link was about to jump across the pit, when he heard a rumbling...and saw an enormous boulder roll down the incline into the pit. A few seconds later, another boulder followed, and another after a few more seconds, creating a clear timing pattern. Looking up the incline, Link saw indentations in the wall...and got an idea. He focused his energy, and, just as the last boulder fell in the pit, he yelled, "_Slow-Down!_"

The entire room took on a light-gold tint, save for himself and Navi, and the boulder slowed considerably, giving him ten _times_ the amount of time he'd had before. Link leapt across the gap and sprinted up the incline, darting into the first indentation _just_ as the magic wore off, and the boulder rolled by. When the next boulder passed, Link used Slow-Down again, and made his way to the next indentation. When another boulder passed, Link Slowed it once more, letting him get to the top of the incline, beyond the start of the boulder's path. When the magic faded, Link entered the next room.

The next chamber was a vast circular pit, with a single metal pillar at its center, with many platforms on metal poles orbiting it. After observing them, Link realized that, every so often, for a fraction of a second, the platforms formed a path to the other side. Getting another idea, Link focused, waited for the perfect moment, and yelled, "_Stop_!"

The golden tint returned, as all the platforms lined up into a path and freezing there, as time stopped. Link quickly made his way across, leaping from one platform to the next, reaching the other side _just_ as the natural flow of time resumed. Continuing on, he hurried up another incline, and came out into the light of day.

Link now stood on top of the canyon, in the sandy soil of the Dries. A few feet away was a ceremonial altar, with a glowing sphere of brown-gold light – the Earth Essence! Link hurried forward to claim it...when the earth began to shake, and the altar sank into the sand, taking the Essence with it. Then, all of a sudden, a huge, worm-like creature, over a hundred feet long, with skin thicker than plate armor, and a mouth full of rows of razor-teeth, large enough to swallow Hyrule Castle _whole_, and _still_ be hungry, breached from the sand, then diving beneath the sand again. "Link, that was a Giant Moldorm, the Supreme Predator of the Desert!" Navi cried. "This must be part of its territory! They're thought to be..._extinct_!"

"Well, it looked real to _me_." Link said.

"We have to keep _still_ and _quiet_!" Navi squeaked softly. "Any excess noise and it'll come right up under us! We have to wait until it comes up to circle; when it does, go for the tip of its tail! That's its weak point! A few good hits should scare it away!"

Link nodded, and then kept _very_ still. Sure enough, after a few minutes, the Moldorm rose, circling, sifting and tasting the sand in its enormous mouth. "_Speed-Up_!" Link declared, using his magic on himself, then darting at super-speed towards the worm's vulnerable tail, blade drawn. The Moldorm couldn't turn in time; one hit would send it running...

Suddenly, Link stopped; he'd felt more vibrations, _smaller_ ones. Then, with tiny, bleating, mewling cries, three smaller worms, with much thinner hides, and no teeth at all, burst from the sand – _Baby_ Moldorms.

On hearing the cries of the Baby Moldorms, the Giant Moldorm rose up, bending back to rear above Link menacingly, roaring angrily, ready to defend the Babies with its _life_.

Link understood; he put the Master Sword away. "Link, what are you _doing_!" Navi cried.

"Navi...the Moldorm isn't evil." Link said softly. "She's a _mother_, those are her babies, and this is her _home_. She's just protecting her young; to her, _we're_ the intruders." To the Moldorm, he said, "I'm sorry. I'm not here to hurt you _or_ your babies. I just need the Essence; after that, I will leave you in peace."

At that, the Moldorm stopped roaring, and the Babies ceased their cries, as if they'd all understood. Then, the Giant Moldorm reached to its full, towering height, as if reaching to the clouds...and began to _sing_, the notes of its song-call clear, echoing of the deep desert and all its mystery, and of promises made and honored long ago.

"I...I don't believe it..." Navi murmured.

"What is it?" Link asked.

"The Gerudo told tales of the Moldorm, the creature they called Shai-Hulud, and the Great Lord of the Desert. The legends say that the Moldorm is _sentient_." Navi said. "Before settling in Gerudo Valley, the Gerudo lived out here. As legend goes, one Gerudo warrior rescued a Baby Moldorm stranded on the bedrock and returned it to its mother. The mother then...sounded a call, which the Gerudo learned to imitate. When they sounded it, the Giant Moldorms came to them, and allowed the Gerudo to ride on their backs, and led them to their new homeland – Gerudo Valley. The Gerudo, from then on, revered the Moldorms in their legends." Navi paused. "Link...that sound...the one the Moldorm is making...it must be their ancestral song-call, the one the Gerudo called...Sonnet to the Shai-Hulud."

Link was amazed...and honored that this ancient creature was teaching him her song-call. Quickly, he took out the deep blue Ocarina of Time, and imitated that song, carving each note into his memory, learning the Sonnet to the Shai-Hulud.

Once Link finished, the Moldorm went silent, and then uttered several long, deep, unintelligible noises – that unbelievably ancient language that the Moldorms spoke – and then turned and dove beneath the sand, the Babies mewling happily before following their mother.

Link had expected an enemy, but had found a friend, instead. He would _never_ forget that song.

Once the Moldorm had left, the altar and the Essence rose back into view. Walking over to the altar, Link took the Earth Essence, putting it away. As he did, he heard Rauru's telepathic voice echo in his mind. '_Link! There is an emergency at Hyrule Castle!_' Rauru called. '_Somehow, Moblin raiders have gotten through the Castle defenses! The Castle is under attack! Hurry back!_' At once, Link took out the Ocarina of Time and played the Prelude of Light; the familiar golden aura engulfed him, taking him to the Temple of Time.

Once the magical warp had dropped him at the cathedral-like Temple, Link raced out of the Temple, towards Hyrule Castle, his Time Magic-boosted speed getting him there all the quicker. Racing into the Castle, he found the throne room swarmed with Moblins; the Knights were over-run, and the King and Zelda behind the line that the Knights had formed, the line that was weakening...

Re-casting his Speed-Up spell, Link drew the Master Sword and leapt into battle, darting from one foe to the next, stopping only to strike down a Moblin. In seconds, more than half the Moblins were gone...then only ten remained. One-by-one, Link picked them off: one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine...and then his speed wore off, but he could handle _one_ Moblin.

Speaking of which where _was_ the straggler?

"Link, watch out! He's _behind_ you!" Navi cried. Turning, Link saw the last Moblin leap at him with its club. Link readied a defense; this would be _close_...

"_LINK!_"

A sudden blast of silver-and-blue magical energy blasted the Moblin to nothingness at the very moment that Zelda screamed. Link's eyes darted around, trying to find the wielder of the magic...and froze when he saw a matching silver-and-blue glow on Zelda's extended hands.

Zelda dropped to her knees, staring at her hands as the glow slowly faded. "L-Link?" she cried. "H-How did I do that?!"

"I...don't know." Link murmured. He wished he could have eased her fears, but he could scarcely remove his _own_ worries. Magical power strong enough to stop a Moblin in one blast was quite strong, indeed; Link had no idea what that power could do to Zelda, or even what it _was_.

"W-What's happening to me?!" Zelda cried, her teary gaze turning to her father. "_D-Daddy?_" she sniffed, pleading for answers.

It was then that Link saw the haunted expression on the King's face. "Knights!" the King suddenly ordered. "_Out! Now!_ You're sworn to silence, _all_ of you!" Obediently, the Knights left. To Zelda, he said, in a softer voice, "I have been both dreading and hoping for this day to come."

"What do you mean?" Zelda cried. "Daddy, what's _happening_ to me?!" The frantic tone of her voice nearly broke Link's heart.

"Zelda, sweetheart...it's time for you to learn the truth about your mother." the King said. "In a sense, I told the truth about her; she _was_ royalty, but not _Hylian_ royalty. You see, Zelda, your mother, Alara...was the youngest daughter of Epheremelda, the Fairy Queen."

"But...but...that would make her..." Zelda stammered.

"...a Fairy princess." the King finished. "And she _was_, Zelda. And, as her daughter, you have inherited her powers."

"But...but...that _can't_ be!" Zelda cried, confused. "I've never used any magic before now!"

"Yes, you _have_, sweetie. Don't you remember?" the King continued. "When you were little, do you recall all those vases breaking, all those suits of armor always falling over?"

"Y-Yes." Zelda replied.

"Sweetheart, that was _you_!" the King exclaimed. "It was your wonderful magic that did all that, but for some reason, every time you used your powers, you forgot, until today!"

Now Zelda was really upset, and it broke Link's heart to see her that way. She had no idea of who she really was, anymore...and he _knew_ how that could feel. "Why...why didn't you _tell_ me?!" she cried. "Were you _ashamed_ of me?! Did you think something was _wrong_ with me?!"

"Oh, _no_, Zelda!" the King exclaimed. "Please, just let me explain..."

But Zelda wanted to hear no more; she ran from the throne room before anyone could stop her, her face buried in her hands, crying.

After Zelda had fled, the King buried his head in his hand. "Oh, I made a mess of that, didn't I?" he moaned. "Why, oh _why_ didn't I tell her before?"

"I don't know, Sire." Link answered. "Why _didn't_ you?"

"I made a promise...to my wife, Zelda's mother." the King replied. "Just after giving birth to Zelda, Alara made me swear not to tell Zelda of her powers until she was old enough to use them. I agreed...and then, Alara perished."

"I see." Link said.

"I never meant to cause her any pain..." the King continued. "Zelda is more precious to me than _anything_." To Link, he added, imploringly, "Please, Link...go find her. Tell her how much I love her."

"No, Sire." Link said. "With all due respect."

The King looked shocked. "'No'?" he repeated.

"I will find her." Link explained. "But she needs to hear that from _you. _Every child, regardless of age, needs to know that their parents love them; Zelda needs to hear _you_ say that you love her." His expression and voice turned sad. "_Take that from a child who never heard his parents' voices at all_." he said softly.

Slowly, the King smiled. "Lad...you are wise beyond your years." he said. "Very well. Please...bring Zelda back." Nodding, Link went to find Zelda, knowing _exactly_ where to look.

Before long, Link had reached their secret place; sure enough, Zelda was there, in their garden, under the tree, lying face-down, crying. Slowly, Link sat down next to her. "Hi." he said softly. "Are you...okay?"

"Why didn't he _tell_ me?!" Zelda wailed. "Was he _ashamed_ of me?! Did he want a _normal_ daughter as his heir?!"

"Zel, you _know_ that isn't true." Link said.

"Did he think I was..._weird_?!" Zelda cried, sitting upright, tears flowing from her crystal eyes. "I don't even know _what_ I am, anymore, Link! Does he think I'm a...a freak?!"

Link firmly took her by the shoulders. "Zelda, _stop_ it." he ordered. "_No-one_ thinks you're a freak. _I_ sure don't, and neither does your father! Your father loves you more than _anything_, Zel! You're the center of his universe! And as for me...I have _always_ thought that you're the most special, wonderful woman in the _world_...and I haven't heard _anything_ to make me change my mind."

Zelda turned to Link, her tears slowing. "Link, I'm...I'm so scared." she sniffed. "I mean...what if something..._is_ wrong with me? What if these...these powers are _dangerous_? What if I _hurt_ someone..?"

"It'll be okay, Zelda." Link assured her, gently taking her in his arms. Slowly, he helped her to her feet. "Come on; your father wants to talk to you." Then, he helped her walk to the throne room.

When they got there, the King rose from his throne. "Zelda, I'm so sorry..." he began.

Zelda held up her hand to stop him. "Link," she said, "could you leave me and my father alone for a minute?"

"Of course, Zel." Link replied. "I'll be right out here if you need me." Then, after giving her a loving kiss on the cheek, Link left the throne room, closing the doors behind him.

He hoped she'd be okay.

Once Link left, Zelda took a deep breath; she already missed Link's reassuring presence, his comforting embrace, his soothing smile. She felt weak without him...but, for her own sake, she _had_ to do this herself, alone. "Father," she said, trying to keep her voice steady, "tell me the _truth_: _were_ you ashamed of what I could do?"

"Oh, _no_, sweetheart! I was _never_ ashamed!" her father exclaimed. "Every time I saw you use your magic, it made me so _happy_ ; I was overjoyed at how easily you used your mother's gift to you, how natural you made it seem! I wanted so much to tell you how special you really were, but, on her deathbed, your mother made me _promise_ not to tell you of your powers, not until you were old enough to truly _realize_ that you were using magic."

"But...why would she want you to do that?" Zelda asked. "What..._am_ I?"

"Oh, sweetie, I wish I could answer you." her father sighed. "But I truly don't have any answers."

Now Zelda felt utterly dismayed; her heritage was as obscure as before.

"_However_," her father continued, "your mother _knew_ that this day would come, when you would inquire about your heritage, and your powers...so she left something behind."

"What!" Zelda exclaimed, hope returning. "What is it? Where did she leave it?"

"If only I knew!" her father sighed. "What I _do_ know is that she left it somewhere in this Castle, in the last few weeks of her pregnancy with you, when she could still move about fairly easily. She told me of its existence, just before she died...that it would answer any questions you had about your heritage. She wanted you to _find_ it, Zelda, when you were ready."

Slowly, Zelda nodded. "Oh, Daddy..." she sniffed, embracing her father, "...I'm sorry I got upset..."

"Sweetheart, you have nothing to be sorry _about_." her father assured her, hugging her. "_I'm_ the one who's sorry, for keeping that from you for all this time."

Upon hearing all that, Zelda felt better. Now she knew that the answers she needed were near.

All she had to do was find them.


	7. Chapter 5

_Author's Note: As you might have guessed, my computer wasn't in for maintenance, today. I'm not sure when I'll be putting it in for repairs, yet. So, just so you all know, if I'm absent with my updates for a few days, that's the reason why. I am truly sorry about the mix-up._

_On a different note, since I'll be working on finishing another of my projects, as well as working on a research essay, it might be a while before I get the next story up after I finish this one. Therefore, I'm going to make it up to you: if I get 15 or more reviews for this story, after the epilogue is posted, I'll submit a sneak-preview of my next story "The Legend of Zelda: Wrath of Majora." Like it? If so, please review! Thanks for understanding!_

CHAPTER FIVE: SECRETS

The next day, some time after sunrise, Link was heading for the Highlands, for the Wind Sanctum, on Epona.

Zelda had told him of her discovery, about how her mother had left something in the Castle for her to find. She'd told him she intended to begin looking for it today. Well, he certainly hoped she found it, and that it showed her what she wanted to know.

Before long, he'd reached the Highlands, the hilly lands reaching ever-upwards into the mists. Epona could go no further, so Link dismounted, letting her graze contentedly, as he began to walk into the Highlands.

Link had been hiking for quite a while, but he still hadn't found anything. It was getting mistier and mistier, harder to see ahead of him. All of a sudden, he saw it: a tall tower of green stone – the Wind Sanctum. Link walked up the stairs leading to the doorway, and entered it.

The first room was completely empty, save for a deep pit in the center of the floor, and, a fair distance straight up, was a platform and the next door. Suddenly, a gust of wind shot up from the pit, with enough force to lift...well, _anything_. Link took a chance; when the next gust came, he leapt out into it. The gust carried him straight up, setting him down on the platform, right before the door. Link simply opened it, and continued on his way.

The next room was circular, and spinning around its center, at varying distances, were jagged, spiked metal blades: Blade Traps, designed to keep intruders out.

Quickly, Link darted across the room, keeping out of the paths of the Traps by stopping momentarily as the Traps passed him, before reaching the far side of the room and heading into the next chamber. The next room had only a treasure chest and another door blocked by metal bars, with four large crystals – Crystal Switches – in the room, one at each corner. Link opened the chest, and found an adult-sized, silvery-metal boomerang. "Link, that's a Magical Boomerang!" Navi exclaimed. "It can strike more than one target at once! If you concentrate, you can use it to hit multiple targets!"

That gave Link an idea. Taking aim, he pulled the Boomerang back, sighting each of the four Switches, marking them in his mind. Then, he threw the Magical Boomerang; the Boomerang made a perfect circular arc, striking each Switch before returning to Link's waiting hand. The bars on the door promptly slid away. Link put the Boomerang away, and headed into the next chamber.

The next room consisted of only a long, winding staircase. Link made his way up the staircase, and came out onto the roof of the Sanctum. Suddenly, he heard an inhuman roar, as a massive, stone-skinned, winged gargoyle dove from the misty skies, landing a few feet from Link. "Link, that's a Storm Gargoyle!" Navi cried. "Use your Boomerang to injure its wings, and then use your magic to crack its armored skin before attacking with your Sword!"

Roaring, the Gargoyle took to the air again, flying too fast to be seen in the mists. Then, Link saw the Gargoyle dive at him. Focusing on its wings, Link threw his Boomerang, striking both wings, and knocking the Gargoyle out of the air. Roaring angrily, the Gargoyle charged at Link, who leapt aside, readying a magic attack, and then cast his spell; the enchanted lightning seared towards the Gargoyle, chipping its stone-armored skin. The Gargoyle quickly recovered the use of its wings and took off again. Waiting for another dive, Link grounded it with his Boomerang, and used a Fire-magic spell, unleashing a deadly blast of enchanted flame, chipping its armor a bit more.

_That_ spell had been more powerful; his training was paying off.

When the Gargoyle took to the air again, Link grounded it once more, and unleashed a _third_ spell, a blast of raw power that nearly cracked the Gargoyle's armor clean off, as well as stunning it. Link was shocked; he'd never used magic _that_ powerful, before. "Link!" Navi cried. "I just felt your powers increase significantly! I think you can use another Time Magic spell: Hyper-Time, one of the most powerful spells!"

"How does it work?" Link asked.

"Hyper-Time lets you exist outside the flow of Time!" Navi explained. "It lets you step outside of time, set up a series of attacks, and then step back in; once you do, the spell unleashes all of your attacks, one right after the other! Used correctly, it's _incredibly_ powerful!"

By then, the Gargoyle had recovered, and had taken to the air. As the Gargoyle came at him for one more dive, Link focused his energy, and shouted, "_Hyper-Time!_"

Instantly, the familiar golden tint surrounded everything, save Link, as Time itself stopped, enabling Link to move between instants. Link concentrated as he pulled back, as if to throw his Boomerang, seeing himself throw it at the Gargoyle's wings. A shadowy outline of himself appeared, and Link stepped away; the outline remained in place, ready to throw the Boomerang – the attack was set. Stepping to the side a few feet, Link charged his magic, aiming a spell for where the Gargoyle would start to fall, setting another shadow-outline. Then, Link walked right next to where the Gargoyle would land, drew his Sword, and set up the last attack, releasing the power of the spell as he did.

The very instant that he did, Link was back at the spot where the Boomerang attack was set, and he threw it, striking the wings; in less than a second, he was at the next attack, blasting the Gargoyle with enchanted ice, blasting its armor off. Then, he was at its side, where he unleashed a series of sword-attacks, ending in a deadly leaping strike, utterly annihilating the Gargoyle.

Once the attack-combination was over, Link felt quite tired. "Whoa..." he said softly, "that's quite a spell."

Once the Gargoyle was no more, a ceremonial altar, made of pure jade, rose up from the tower, and upon it was a gleaming sphere of green light.

The Wind Essence.

Sheathing his weapons, Link walked to the altar, picked up the Essence, and put it away. Now, his quest was half-over; only two more Essences were left. Turning, Link began to leave the Sanctum, to report back to Hyrule Castle.

He hoped Zelda was having as much luck on _her_ quest.

Across Hyrule, at the Castle, in the Royal Library, Zelda had already begun her search, retracing her mother's last footsteps, looking for clues. She wore her casual violet-and-pink gown, the one she always wore when not at formal occasions.

She'd already visited several of her mother's favorite spots in the Castle; first, she'd visited the Main Gardens, where she'd once tended the flowers she loved...like _Zelda_ did. Then, she'd gone to the Ball Room balcony, where her mother had like to gaze at the stars...like _she_ did.

Zelda had found that her mother was a lot like her, in many ways, judging from her habits. It made Zelda feel that, in some ways, she'd known her mother.

Continuing her search, Zelda kept looking in the library, searching for _anything_ out-of-place, anything that her mother could have left to give her a clue as to where she'd hidden her secret. Finding nothing, Zelda sighed, idly leaning against a statuette on a small pedestal. She was never going to find it...

Suddenly, the pedestal shifted back, and the wall behind the pedestal _moved_, revealing a pathway behind it! _This_ had to be what she was looking for! Zelda quickly darted into the pathway.

The path led to a long, dark corridor; _completely_ dark, the way forward lit only by torches. The dark immediately put Zelda at ill ease. Ever since she was a little girl, she'd been _deathly_ afraid of the dark; she didn't know why, she just _was_. Now, part of her very _being_ was screaming at her to get out of there, but she _couldn't_, not now. Her curiosity, her desire to know about her origins wouldn't _let_ her leave. Taking a deep breath, Zelda kept going.

After a while, Zelda saw a faint light, ahead of her. As she walked, the light began to glow brighter, and brighter, until she was inches away from it. She walked through...and found herself in an underground Fairy Fountain, a safe haven for small healing fairies; Link had told her about them, once. There was a fine, white stone path leading to the center, with shallow pools of pure water on either side, the entire Fountain a circular pool, surrounded by white stone columns that supported a white stone, domed roof. But there were no fairies in _this_ Fountain; it was completely empty...except for something glowing of its own mystical power, resting on a pedestal in the center. Slowly, Zelda walked forward...and found that it was a beautiful tiara, fit for a fairy-princess. It was made of gleaming, light silver-blue metal, with a single, light pink gem in its center.

Was _this_ what her mother wanted her to find? A _tiara_? Granted, it was _beautiful_...but how could a tiara answer her questions? Still, her mother had wanted her to have it, so Zelda reached out to take it.

The moment she touched it, the tiara began to glow brighter, and then, before Zelda, a beautiful woman, in her mid-thirties, appeared, seeming to be somewhat transparent. She was tall, a bit more than her, and delicate, like she was. Her eyes were blue, like hers, and her skin was fair, like hers, with long hair, a mixture of silver and gold – the gold was the same shade of blond as _her_ hair. She wore a gleaming, silvery gown, and a crystal tiara...with a pair of beautiful fairy-wings extending from her back.

Zelda gasped. She knew who this was, who it _had_ to be. "M..._Mother_?" she sniffed, fighting back tears.

The radiant spirit smiled. "Yes, Zelda. I am Alara, your mother." she cooed. "My spirit has been waiting for you here, until your magic awoke in you, when you would seek me out." Alara took a second to look at her daughter. "Zelda, _look_ at you!" she gushed. "You're all grown up!"

"Mother...why did you and Father _keep_ this from me?" Zelda asked.

Alara looked troubled. "Oh, I'm so sorry, sweetie, but we _had_ to." she said. "If we'd told you, you'd have tried to make yourself use your magic. Fairy-magic has to _grow_, undisturbed." She giggled. "Of course, there _were_ times when you inadvertently used it, which was to be expected. Oh, you were so _adorable_ whenever you knocked over a suit of armor!"

Zelda's eyes widened. "You...knew about that?" she asked, smiling.

"Sweetie, I've been watching over you since you were born." Alara replied.

Zelda's smile grew. "But, Mother...what exactly _am_ I?" she inquired. "Am I a Fairy, or a Hylian?

"You're _both_, sweetie. You are a wonderful mix of _both_." Alara answered.

"So I'm a...half-Fairy?" Zelda asked.

"You are unique, honey." Alara answered. "You have very special powers, _strong_ powers, which you can do so much good with." She giggled to herself. "I suppose Clairvoya was right."

"Who?" Zelda asked.

"My eldest sister." Alara explained. "But, maybe I'd better _show_ you." Then, she simply touched her hand to Zelda's forehead.

At once, the scene before Zelda changed to that of the throne room. Zelda saw her father, only slightly younger-looking, sitting at his throne. A few feet away was a lovely cradle, and in it was a new-born baby girl, only a few days old.

"This is your birth-ceremony, Zelda." Alara cooed. "That little baby is _you_."

"This is...in the past?" Zelda asked. It...seemed to make sense. Then, something struck her as odd. "Mother, birth-ceremonies in the Court usually involve many officials. No-one is here."

"Very observant!" Alara chirped. "The 'official' ceremony has already finished. Your father ordered the rest to be kept private...because he'd also invited some very special guests."

"Who?" Zelda asked.

"My four elder sisters, your Aunts." Alara replied. "And here they come!"

As if on cue, four winged balls of colored light flew into the room through an open window, landing around the cradle, evenly spaced. The colored sprites then became full-sized women. One was mildly tall, of slight build, with chestnut hair, brown eyes, and a light complexion, clad in a light green gown. The next was a bit shorter, slightly plump, with mid-length black hair and blue eyes, with a bright smile on her face, clad in a deep blue dress. The third was a bit tall, of delicate build, with ruby-red hair and emerald eyes, clad in a red gown. The last one was the tallest of the four, elegantly built, clad in a long, silver-grey cloak, with a hood that completely covered her face, save her mouth and some of her nose.

All four had fairy-wings, and the first three held wands.

"Those are my sisters." Alara said. She pointed to the first. "That's Melody, the second-youngest. She was always so sweet and kind, and she _loved_ music." Pointing to the second, she added, "That's Joy, the middle child. She's always cheerful and upbeat, always ready to pick someone up when they're down!" Pointing to the third, she continued, "That's Serenity. She's the most gentle soul anyone could ever meet. She's the second-oldest of my sisters." Pointing to the last one, Alara finished, "And that's Clairvoya, the eldest of my sisters, _and_ the most powerful. _Her_ magic is stronger than the rest of ours _combined_! Plus, she has a gift that very few Fairies have: she can see into the future. Clairvoya's always been the quietest of us. I never really knew her that well, nor did any of my other sisters; she always...kept to herself. She was nice enough when we saw her, but we just didn't see her very often."

"Why not?" Zelda asked.

"I wish I knew." Alara replied. "My sisters thought that, because Clairvoya was so much more powerful than us, she felt...isolated."

Then, her father spoke: "I'm...very glad that you all came here."

"How could we _not_?" Melody asked, as she smiled at the baby Zelda. "We _had_ to come see our dear Alara's child!"

Joy looked at Zelda's younger self in the crib. "She already has Alara's gifts of beauty and magic." she gushed. "We have our own gifts to give to Alara's child."

Melody held up her wand. "Dear Zelda," she began, "my gift is the gift of Song, so that you may bring joy to any and all who hear your sweetest melodies." She waved her wand over the crib, sprinkling green, shimmery powder over the young Zelda.

Next it was Joy's turn. "Sweet Zelda," she said, "my gift is the gift of Kindness, so that all who meet you will adore your sweet nature." The wavings of her wand sprinkled blue dust over the crib.

Next was Serenity. "Gentle Zelda," she said, "my gift is the gift of Gentleness, so that your words may soothe and comfort those who need you." Her wand left sprinkles of light pink dust on the crib.

Now it was Clairvoya's turn. "My gift is the gift of a prophecy." she said softly. Gently, she stretched out her hand, holding it over the young Zelda, concentrating. "The princess Zelda will indeed grow, in beauty and in grace, beloved by all who know her...but a shadow begins to draw near. Even _now_, it is coming, and it threatens to choke the life from her."

Zelda heard her father gasp.

"This same shadow threatens to poison _all_ of Hyrule with its darkness." Clairvoya continued. "Yet all is not lost, for now a great light draws near, casting back the shadow. This light...is a man...a man chosen by divine power...born of the sky...raised in green...to defeat the dark. His fate and Zelda's fate are linked..." her voice trailed off. "I can see no more." she finished. "Now, a gift from _all_ of us, one that Alara instructed us to give."

Slowly, Clairvoya raised her hand, as the others raised their wands, chanting together, "_This last gift we give to thee, as symbol of thy royalty. We give you this Glimmer Tiara...for you, dear child of sweet Alara._" Their combined magic formed the tiara that Zelda had found. Then, her four Aunts changed into their smaller forms, and flew away, and Zelda found herself back in the Castle depths, with her mother's spirit.

"So, this is...the Glimmer Tiara?" Zelda asked. "It will give me my powers?"

Alara lightly laughed. "No, sweetie; your magic has always been inside of you!" She handed the Tiara to her daughter. When Zelda touched it, it vanished in a flash of light, which darted into her body, its energy melding with her magic. "The Tiara will simply make you more aware of your magic, help you use it."

Zelda smiled. "Thank you, Mother."

Alara smiled back. "So, sweetie, now that you're all grown up...is there someone _special_ in your life?"

"_Mother_!" Zelda cried, blushing.

"_Well_?" Alara asked.

Suppressing her blush, Zelda replied, "His name is Link. He's kind, brave, selfless, gentle, caring...everything a woman could possibly want. I _know_ he'd be the most perfect King; the kind of King that a kingdom could love and respect, and revere in story and song; the kind of King that no enemy would dare oppose; and the kind of King that a Queen...or a Queen-to-be...could love _forever_." She couldn't help but sigh dreamily. "I love him, with all my heart and soul, and he loves _me_."

Alara smiled. "I'm so glad for you, sweetie." she said. Then, she frowned. "I have to go, now, Zelda...but I'll always be watching over you."

"I know." Zelda said. Then, she gave her mother a big hug. "I love you, Mommy."

"Oh, I love you, too, honey." her mother replied, returning the hug. "Good-bye!" Then, she was gone, and Zelda was alone.

Zelda felt reassured after meeting her mother; her questions had been answered, and she found that she liked what she'd learned about herself and her origins...and her curiosity about her new powers had only grown. She couldn't _wait_ to try them out. Turning, Zelda headed back the way she came, leaving the Fountain.

Zelda came to her and Link's secret place, for privacy. It was time to use her new magic. She shut her eyes, concentrating hard.

Nothing happened.

Zelda doubled her focus...to no avail. '_Mother said that my powers are a part of me,_' she thought, '_but how do I make them work?_'

She sighed. "Maybe I'm trying too hard." she said to herself. She had wanted to try her powers so _much_...

Suddenly, she felt a warm, tingling sensation, deep within herself. Startled, Zelda perked up, and the tingle stopped. Had her powers started to work? But she hadn't been thinking about it...

Then it hit her. _Thought_ wasn't the trigger; _emotion _was.

Zelda stood up, and closed her eyes; her desire to learn of her past had led her to her mother. And now her desire to use her powers would awaken them.

Suddenly, she felt a wave of energy wash over her, starting from inside her and spreading outwards, cleansing her, energizing her...

When the wave had finished, Zelda put her hand to her head; she felt so _dizzy_. She took a few steps, stopping at the little fountain in the center of the garden.

When she removed her hand, Zelda looked into the pool...and froze, for the reflection she saw of herself was not what she'd seen before. Mostly, her physical form was unchanged, but her outfit was _very_ different. She now wore a sparkling, sleeveless, silver blue, halter-style tank top, accentuating her curves and leaving her slim midriff exposed. She also wore a matching short skirt, the same sparkly silver-blue, covering her down to her mid-thigh. On her feet were high-heeled silver-colored shoes; the heels were _just_ the right size for her. On her forehead was the Glimmer Tiara – a perfect fit. On her arms were light-blue, silken, long gloves, covering her arms from past her elbows to the backs of her hands.

But what completed the package was the pair of semi-translucent, light blue, gossamer fairy-wings that now extended from her back. They resembled the wings of a butterfly, with each wing composed of a large upper segment and a slightly smaller lower segment, each wing slightly more extended than a butterfly wing would be.

Slowly, giddily, Zelda turned around, peering over her shoulder, to make sure these wings were really hers. Sure enough, her reflection revealed that the wings were, indeed, extending from her shoulder blades, a natural powdery sparkle occurring where mortal skin turned to fluttering, gossamer wing.

They were _her_ wings. She was a _Fairy_! A real, live, magical Fairy! Zelda was thrilled with her new discovery. All she needed to do now was learn to fly, and she couldn't _wait_!

Suddenly, she felt herself being lifted right off the ground, and she heard a soft fluttering noise behind her. At first, Zelda was scared...until she looked down at her reflection and saw that it was her own fluttering wings that were the culprit. She was _flying_!

Zelda was amazed, as she temporarily touched down. She felt so alive, so full of energy, so _happy_. '_This must be what being a Fairy feels like._' she thought, as she felt herself starting to lift off, once more; her emotions were triggering her powers. Then, looking up into the sky, she decided to have her very first "solo flight."

Focusing, reining in her emotion enough to direct her flight, Zelda began to rise up again, her wings rapidly fluttering. It was so _easy_; all she had to do was _want_ to fly to a point, and her wings did the rest. She flew up, up, to the highest tower of Hyrule Castle, landing gracefully on the top of the tower, gracefully balancing on one foot on the tower's tip.

The view of Hyrule was _beautiful_ from here; Zelda could see _everything_, from Death Mountain all the way to Lake Hylia. Then, she flew up even higher, up into the clouds.

It was time to try out her _other_ powers.

Now Zelda was high up in the clouds where, if she messed up her magic, no-one would get hurt. Zelda concentrated, and a ball of silver-blue magical energy formed in her hand. Zelda threw the ball at an imaginary target – a cloud. The ball detonated in a fairly impressive blast, dissipating the cloud. Zelda threw two more practice-blasts, in rapid-fire succession...and the hovering young Fairy-princess suddenly began to sink, her energy levels taking a slight dip. "That's probably enough for now." she said to herself. Then, she flew back under the cloud-cover, flying over Hyrule Field...and her heart leapt for joy as she saw Link riding towards Hyrule Castle. She flew in his direction, to surprise him.

Nearing Hyrule Castle, Link told Epona to slow down. He was almost there; no need to rush. He wondered how Zelda was doing in her search...

"Hi, Link!"

"_Whoa_!" Link cried, both in surprise and in instruction to Epona, who obediently stopped. Link quickly looked around, and saw no-one. It had sounded like..._Zelda_...

"Up _here_!"

Promptly, Link looked up...and his jaw nearly hit the ground as he beheld Zelda, in a sparkling silver-blue outfit, with beautiful fairy-wings, a lovely light-blue aura around her, making her skin seem to sparkle.

She was utterly breathtaking.

Zelda must have seen his funny face, for she rewarded him with her enchanting laughter. "Do I look _that_ strange?" she teased.

"Zelda," Link began, finding his voice, " 'strange' is the _last_ word I would use. By the Three, Zel...you're...you're...absolutely _dazzling_!"

Zelda gave him her sweet smile, and her lovely face gained an equally lovely rosy tint. "Really?" she asked.

"How can you _doubt_ it?" Link asked.

Zelda's happy smile grew...and then she began to falter in the air. "Um...I'm a little tired." she admitted. "Could you..?"

At once, Link held out his arms to her, ready to catch her. Smiling sweetly, Zelda began to descend, her fluttering wings slowing. Gently, Link caught her around her waist, and let her ease into his waiting arms; her skin was softer than the softest silk to his touch.

Zelda sighed happily as she settled in Link's arms. "You're such a gentleman." she cooed, cuddling into him.

Then, Navi darted out of Link's cap. "So, Princess Zelda, I guess you've discovered your powers." she said. Zelda nodded. "Well, I'd better fill you in on some details about your powers and abilities as a Fairy." Navi continued. "First, a Fairy's powers are triggered by emotions; a Fairy has to be in a positive emotional state for her powers to work at an optimal level. Because of this, when you're in your Fairy-form, your emotions will be more intense than what you're used to."

"I see." Zelda replied.

"Also," Navi continued, "Fairy-magic doesn't work very well in intense darkness. That's why many Fairies are afraid of the dark."

"I've been afraid of the dark ever since I was little, but I never knew _why_." Zelda admitted. "Now I do."

"And here's the real thing to remember." Navi finished. "When a Fairy gets caught – be it in a glass bottle, a net, or something else like it – her powers don't work at _all_; she's completely helpless. _That's_ why Fairies that are my size can be caught in bug-catching nets."

Zelda nodded. "Navi," she asked, "since I'm a Fairy, am I going to shrink to your size?"

"_No_!" Navi laughed. "Fairies come in _all_ sizes! I'm the small kind, and you're the tall kind!"

Both Link and Zelda laughed with Navi...and then the itching sensation on Link's right hand came back, worse than _ever_...and then it became _agonizing_, as if his hand was on _fire_! "_Arrgghh!_" Link howled.

"Link, what's wrong!" Zelda cried.

"My..._hand_..." Link choked out through the agony. He removed his right gauntlet...just in time to see a symbol form onto the back of his hand. The symbol was that of a golden merlin-falcon, diving from the sky, talons at the ready, a gleaming star behind it, its golden rays shining. The instant the symbol appeared, Link's pain stopped.

It was the same symbol that was on the medallion he now wore under his tunic.

"What is _that_?" Link asked aloud, gazing at his hand.

"I...I don't know..." Navi murmured. "I've never seen it anywhere but on your medallion and at the place where we found you, Link. Earlier today...your magic power more than _doubled_, Link. Could this have something to do with it?"

"I don't know." Link said. To himself, he added, very softly, "Who _am_ I?"

By then, they were fairly close to the Castle, and Zelda, with renewed energy, said, "Link, can I fly again? I want to surprise Daddy!"

Link laughed. "Of _course_ you can, Zel! The skies are free!" he said. At that, Zelda squealed happily, hugging him and giving him a peck on the cheek, before she took to the air again. Link was content to watch his love in her joyful flight.

Though he would likely never learn the secrets of his past, he was glad that Zelda had discovered the secrets of _her_ origins.

It was mid-morning at Hyrule Castle, and Andreus was in his study, doing paperwork; Link had recently departed for the Wind Sanctum, and Zelda had started her search for her mother's secret. He hoped they both were well...

"Uh...Sire?"

Looking up, Andreus saw a young messenger peeking his head into the study. "I humbly beg your pardon, Sire, but I'd thought you would want to be informed of this immediately." the lad said.

Andreus paused. "Very well, lad." he said.

"We've received word that a messenger will be here very soon, Sire."

Andreus arched an eyebrow. "From what country?" he inquired.

The lad looked _very_ nervous. "From...from Aldare, Sire."

Andreus nearly choked. "The _Aldarian Empire_!" he exclaimed. "You're _certain_!"

"Yes, Sire." the lad said. "A ship from Aldare will be here, very soon."

"Very good." Andreus said, calming. "You did well to inform me. Go and make ready for them." At once, the lad bowed, and hurried off.

In his mind, Andreus was still worried. The Aldarian Empire was the most powerful nation in the _world_; they were masters of both science _and_ magic. They had long learned to combine the two, enabling them to work _wonders_. Aldare was the most advanced civilization on the planet, _centuries_...no, _millennia_ ahead of Hyrule, and everyone else, for that matter. Aldare's cities were not built on the ground, but floated in the sky, though they still had a handful of land- and sea-based colonies. The Aldarian Army was the strongest, best-trained, best-equipped armed force in the world, and the Aldarian Imperial Fleet...the Fleet was composed of Aldare's finest 'Skyships', powerful vessels that flew in the sky, and could travel at speeds that made them invisible to the naked eye. Many of these Skyships were huge, gleaming colossi, larger than the entire Hyrulian sea-fleet _combined_.

Why in _Hyrule_ would Aldare be coming _here_?

Andreus quickly left his study, hurrying outside, to be ready for this messenger. He reached the Outer Courtyard just in time; there was a flash of light, and a vessel appeared above their heads, seemingly stretching far off into the horizon, its bow having reached Hyrule, its stern still lagging far behind. Then, half an instant later, the stern caught up.

The ship was not one of the colossal vessels that were the backbone of Aldare's Fleet; it was about the size of a house, shaped like a rectangular parallelogram, its sides rounded a bit where its edges would be. The bow of the ship was the front-sloping end, with a pane of glass built into it, so the pilot could see, Andreus guessed. Extending from the sides were what appeared to be pods; engines, Andreus believed they were called, which enabled the vessel to fly.

The ship flew towards the Castle, at impressive speeds, before effortlessly slowing, and then stopping in front of Andreus, hovering there. The pods retracted seamlessly into the ship, and the ship turned around, revealing a large hatch on the stern. The hatch hissed open, lowering like a drawbridge, and the messenger walked out.

The messenger was an Aldarian Centurion, one of the elite soldiers of Aldare's army. The Centurion wore a full suit of dark violet metal armor, completely covering his body. He wore a full helmet with a glass visor, which had a mirrored surface, making it impossible to see the Centurion's face, giving him a cold, soulless, machine-like quality.

The Centurion saluted him. "I bring greetings from Aldare, King Andreus." he said, his voice metallic from his helmet. Then, the Centurion tapped part of his helmet; at once, the visor slid up, revealing the face of a young man. The Centurion then removed his helmet, and Andreus was surprised. Why, the Aldarians were practically identical to the Hylians, if this Centurion was a prime example!

Andreus simply nodded, suppressing his amazement. "Well met." he replied. "What brings you here?"

"I bring a message from the Emperor, himself." the Centurion said, causing Andreus' eyes to widen in amazement. His eyes widened _more_ at the next one: "The Emperor will be visiting Hyrule within three days, to discuss a matter of grave importance."

Andreus managed to keep outwardly calm. "Tell me...what could be so important that the Emperor would want to come _here_?"

"The message I carry will explain it." the Centurion said. He took out a small device, and pulled it open, extending it; the device instantly became a notepad-like device, using light instead of paper, with the message typed on it. The Centurion handed the device to Andreus. "This holographic letter details the issue that has recently come to the Emperor's attention. The Emperor requests that this be kept _strictly_ confidential until a positive identification can be made."

Andreus took the notepad, read it over...and gasped in astonishment. He understood why the Emperor wanted this to be kept quiet until they were sure. If this were true...

...it would change _everything_.


	8. Chapter 6

CHAPTER SIX: TRUTH

In the Palace of Storms, Vaati was fuming. Matters were becoming increasingly complicated.

The Princess had discovered her powers, and had _used_ them. Now it would be impossible to drain them without killing the girl. He'd hoped to drain her magic and leave her alive, since his allies had plans for her.

Still, it could not be helped. He _needed_ the girl's powers. Without them, his plan to conquer Hyrule would fail. He _had_ to capture the Princess and drain her magic.

Also, that whelp Link was becoming _very_ annoying, even _dangerous_. He'd felt the surge of magical power that had filled the boy. He'd once theorized that it was indeed possible for Hylians to use magic. However, _no_ Hylian could have _possibly_ harnessed that much power.

_He should not have been able to do what he did._

This notion was _very_ troubling. Link _had_ to be removed; both he _and_ his allies were in perfect agreement, though his allies likely had their own reasons. Still, Vaati was intrigued as well as unnerved by Link. He _couldn't_ be a Hylian...

Suddenly, Vaati's two allies burst into the room, the shadows still concealing their faces. "Sorcerer," the elder said, "we are running out of time. Whatever your schemes involve, we must conclude them in less than three days!"

"Oh?" Vaati replied. "And why is that?"

"_Because_, you old fool," the younger hissed, "our spies in the Castle just informed us that the _Emperor of Aldare_ will be visiting Hyrule within three days! If you try springing your army on the King when the Emperor gets here, the entire Aldarian Fleet will blast us all into _oblivion_!"

Vaati nodded; that _would_ be a problem. "Do not worry, my friends." he assured them. "I will deal with Link, and our plan will be carried out _long_ before mighty Aldare arrives. I promise you that."

Link had spent the rest of the day re-supplying for the trip to the Fire Sanctum, gotten a good night's sleep, and had set out on Epona, heading to the Death Mountain Range.

The day before, he had been there when Zelda had shown her transformed self to her father, before reverting back to her Hylian form. Her father had been so happy for her, and Link had been so glad to see that her powers were accepted. It had reminded him _why_ he had undertaken this quest; it was for Zelda's sake, as well as the entire Royal Family, to make sure that Vaati could never threaten them again. His resolve strengthened, Link kept going.

"Link! Wait up!"

Slowing Epona, Link turned and was amazed to see Zelda, in her Fairy-form, come flying up to him. "Zelda? What are you doing here?" Link asked.

"I'm coming with you!" Zelda said touching down.

Link nearly fell out of his saddle. "_W-What!_" he cried.

"I'm coming with you." Zelda repeated.

"Zel..." Link began, trying to get her to see how dangerous this was, that he _couldn't_ let anything happen to her.

But Zelda stopped him. "Link, I know what you're going to say." she said calmly. "I know that you want to protect me, and I _love_ you for it, but now that I have these powers, I can't sit by, anymore, _especially_ since it's _my_ family that you're trying to help. Please...let me help you."

Link sighed, smiling. "There's no way I can convince you not to go, is there?"

Zelda smiled and shook her head. "No. Sorry." she cooed.

"Okay, then." Link agreed. "But I want you to stay close to me, and conserve your energy; I don't want you to get hurt because you became too weak to fly. And _please_ be careful, Zel. This is dangerous."

"I will." Zelda replied. Then, she changed back to her normal form, back in her regular gown, to conserve her energy. Link then helped her up into the saddle, and then they kept going.

Before long, they reached the Mountain Range, where Epona could no longer go. Link and Zelda dismounted, and Zelda transformed, flying up to scout ahead. Link made his way up the mountains with relative ease, managing to keep pace with Zelda as he leapt from one rock outcrop to the next, climbing up the cliff-side.

After a while, they reached a peak, and stopped to look around, Zelda descending to rest on the rock, to catch her breath. "I'm okay." she assured him, smiling for him.

Link smiled back, but he still worried for his beloved Zelda. True, she had strong magical powers, but she had no training in their use, and her mystical stamina was a bit low. Link knew that was only because she'd just gotten her powers a day ago – she was still learning – but that could put her in danger.

He _had_ to make sure she was safe.

Then, in the distance, Link saw it: a fairly large, dome-shaped building, made entirely of red marble.

The Fire Sanctum.

"It's over there!" Link exclaimed.

Instantly, Zelda perked up, her energy renewed; she could be quite spunky, at times, Link noted with a proud smile. "Let's go!" Zelda declared, taking to the air and flying towards the Sanctum. Smiling, Link hurried after her.

Soon, they reached the Sanctum, and headed inside, Zelda descending to the ground, since there was no room to fly. The first chamber was a long corridor, ending with a ladder, going down, deep into the earth. Walking over to the ladder, Link began to climb down the ladder, as Zelda simply used her wings to descend slowly to the bottom.

The next chamber was very vast, consisting of a long bridge over a lake of lava, and the heat was nearly unbearable. Carefully, Link and Zelda made their way across, Link staying in the lead, on guard, as Zelda followed, on foot, to avoid depleting her magical energy, saving it for when she needed it. They soon reached the door on the other side of the bridge, and headed into the next room.

In the next chamber, there was another lava pool, with a lava waterfall, and a platform hovering in the middle of the room. Link could see the next door behind the waterfall, but trying to reach it would mean certain death. Then, Link saw a switch up in the rock walls of the chamber. Taking out his Boomerang, Link threw it, triggering the switch, and caught the Boomerang on its return arc. The platform began to move, in a circular pattern around the room, passing through the searing waterfall, before heading their way.

"Link, I've got an idea!" Zelda exclaimed. Then, she concentrated, forming a ball of frigid magic energy in her hands. She then cast it at the edge of the lava-falls, where the searing molten rock began its descent. The frozen orb impacted on the target, solidifying the lava, stopping the flow.

"Zelda, you're _brilliant_!" Link exclaimed, causing Zelda to sweetly blush. Then, they both hopped onto the floating platform, letting it take them safely to the previously-inaccessible door, where they got off and entered it, heading to the next room.

The next chamber took them onto a cliff overlooking a lava pit. A fair distance down, on a cliff on the other side of the pit, was the next door. Suddenly, from the pit, several lava-geysers shot up, their peaks forming solid platforms, and as they descended, for a brief instant, they formed a clear path to the next door.

Link got an idea; holding onto Zelda's hand, he concentrated, waiting for the next set of geysers. When the moment was right, he yelled, "_Stop!_" At once, time in the chamber stopped, the geysers forming their path.

Only Link and Zelda could move about. "Link...is that...your Time Magic?" Zelda asked.

Link nodded, and replied, "We'd best hurry, Zelda, before time resumes its flow!" Then, he lifted her into his arms, carrying her as he leapt from platform-to-platform, landing safely before the next door, just as time resumed, and the geysers fell back into the lava. Link set Zelda back onto her feet, and then they headed into the next chamber.

The final chamber had no other door; it was an island in the lava, with sixteen holes in it...and it was eerily familiar to Link. Suddenly, the ground began to shake, and out of one of the holes flew a long, serpentine dragon, with glowing, red-hot scales, a flaming red mane of dreadlocks, and a hard, bony head.

It was Volvagia, the Subterranean Lava Dragon, the foe that Link had faced and vanquished in the Fire Temple.

Navi darted out of Link's cap. "Link, you remember how to defeat Volvagia, right?" she squeaked. "When he pops his head out, smash him with your Hammer! He's _also_ vulnerable to the cold, so ice-magic should slow him down!"

Then, Volvagia dove back into a hole in the island. Link drew his Megaton Hammer, waiting for Volvagia to come back out. When the dragon reared its ugly head, Link pounded it with his Hammer, forcing it to retreat, roaring in pain. Volvagia then flew out of its hole, ready to breathe fire, but Zelda had taken to the air and was pelting the dragon with frosty blasts, making Volvagia start to get sluggish. Howling, Volvagia retreated to another hole. When he stuck his head out again, Link gave him a few more sharp smashes with his Hammer. When Volvagia tried to retreat, Link summoned his own magic, firing a frosty beam, freezing the hole closed, trapping the dragon and allowing Link to deliver the fatal blow; he pulled back and smashed Volvagia's bony skull, and the dragon fell, disintegrating. It was dead.

As Link put his weapons away, a familiar altar – this one made of red marble – rose out of the ground, with a ball of red light on it: the Fire Essence. Walking over, Link picked it up and put it away. Now, only the Water Essence was left for him to find, and then he could challenge and defeat Vaati. Then, a bright light engulfed Link and Zelda, transporting them out of the Sanctum.

The light deposited them at the base of the Mountain Range, where Epona was. Turning to Zelda, Link smiled and said, "I really appreciated your help in the Sanctum, Zel."

Zelda smiled shyly at the compliment. "_Goodness_..." she said, "...I had no idea your adventures were so taxing!"

"You'd be surprised." Link chuckled. "But how did you convince your father to let you come with me?"

Zelda looked guilty at that. "Um...he thinks I'm just out practicing with my magic, which isn't _exactly_ a lie!"

Link chuckled again. "You sneaky little _vixen_!" he sweetly teased.

Zelda laughed with him. "But I think I'll a bit of _real_ practice before I go with you any more; I should make sure I can use my powers as best I can." she said. Smiling flirtatiously, she added, "For now, I'll leave the adventuring to the man who does it _best_." Then, still keeping her flirty smile, she flew off. "See you at the Castle!" she called, as she flew away.

Link was about to follow her, when he heard a cry for help, his Triforce warning him of evil nearby. Mounting Epona, he rode off, heading in the direction of the cry.

Link came to a trade caravan leaving Hyrule, being attacked by several men, apparently Hylians, clad in black. Some of the traders were trying to fight them off, but not with much luck. Dismounting, Link drew his Sword, darting over to dispense with these bandits.

The instant they saw him, the bandits ran for their horses and rode off, as fast as they could go. As Link sheathed his blade, the head trader came over to Link. "Thank you, Link! You saved us!" he said.

"No need to thank me." Link replied. Then, he spotted something on the ground: it was a small scrap of black cloth, with a crest of a serpent moving in a coiling path around the Triforce.

It was Ruthlage's family crest.

Picking up the cloth, Link asked, "Did this come from the bandits?"

"Why, yes." the trader replied. "We managed to nick one of them; that must have gotten torn off."

"I see." Link said. "His Majesty must hear of this." Then, bidding farewell to the traders, Link mounted Epona, putting the cloth away, and rode off for Hyrule Castle.

Before long, he'd arrived. Dismounting, Link hurried to the throne room, where he found the King. "Ah, Link, you're here!" the King said. "No doubt, you've heard about these new bandits attacking our trade routes. They're likely run-of-the-mill rogues trying to take advantage of Vaati's schemes."

"Sire, I fear it may be more than that." Link replied. He handed the cloth to the King. "I found this at a caravan where bandits had attacked."

The King took the cloth, examined it...and his face went red. "_Ruthlage_ is involved with this!" he exploded. "Why, I'll bet _he's_ the traitor who allowed Zelda to be kidnapped! When I get through with him..!"

"Please, Sire!" Link pleaded, calming the King. "We mustn't be hasty in this. I desire to see justice done as much as you, but if Ruthlage _is_ working with Vaati, then we must be ready for the sorcerer's attacks; revealing what we know could force Vaati to accelerate his plans when we aren't prepared. Please, Sire; only one more Essence remains. Once I get _that_ tomorrow, I can counter Vaati's magic. If we wait until _then_ to force Ruthlage's hand, we should be able to handle whatever he throws at us!"

The King smiled approvingly at Link's advice. "Lad, you are indeed wise beyond your years; you would make a fine Commander, or King, I'm sure." he said. "All right, I will heed your advice. But, just to be safe, I'm instructing my Knights to be on the alert for _anything_ out of the ordinary. As you say, we must be ready."

Link nodded, agreeing completely. Vaati would surely try harder to stop him, now that only one Essence remained.

Once Link claimed the Water Essence, he could finally rid Hyrule of the evil that had plagued it for so long.


	9. Chapter 7

_Author's Note: Due to the last chapter being relatively short, I decided to update sooner. I know that this chapter is pretty short, too, so I hope to have the next one up by tomorrow, hopefully._

_Also, after much thought, I have decided to give you all a sneak preview of "The Legend of Zelda: Wrath of Majora" once the epilogue is uploaded. I know I said I would do so if I got 15 reviews...but I just can't say no to all of you! You've all been great!_

_Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed the last chapter, and I hope you enjoy this one, too! If you like it, please review! Thanks!_

CHAPTER SEVEN: MUSTERING

The next day, sometime after sunrise, Link was riding towards Hyrule's coastline, to begin the search for the last Sanctum.

Only one was left, now. After that, Link could shatter Vaati's power, and slay the evil creature once and for _all_.

After a few hours, around noon, Link and Epona finally reached the clean, white-sand beaches of Hyrule's coast. Link dismounted from Epona, and said to the fine mare, "Okay, girl, you can head back to Lon Lon Ranch, so you can rest up. I'll be okay, so go back home and get some rest. You deserve it, girl." Epona whinnied in agreement, and turned, galloping off. Epona was a smart horse; she knew the way. Link then began to walk along the beach, beginning his search.

After a while, Link saw it: a large palace, built from aquamarine, standing where the waves crashed into the beach. It was the Water Sanctum. Walking up its steps, Link headed inside.

Inside the blue stone corridors of the Sanctum, Link was amazed: the first corridor was lined with small fountains of glowing water. Remembering why he was here, Link kept going, entering the first door.

The next room was a shallow pool of water, with a circular platform around it, and four colored torches at the room's four corners: one red, one green, one yellow, and one blue. Only the bases of the torches were colored; the torches were unlit. In the platform's center was a single torch, lit, and flashing between those four colors. When Link stepped on, the platform began to rotate. Acting on a hunch, Link took out his Fairy Bow and fitted an arrow to it. When the flame was red, he aimed at the red torch and fired through the red flame, igniting the red torch with red flame as the arrow caught alight. He did the same with the other torches for their respective colors.

Once all torches were properly lit, the central torch vanished, leaving a treasure chest in its place. Link opened it, releasing a golden magical aura, which swirled around him, removing his Longshot from his weapons-pack, letting it float in the air, before swirling around it and entering it.

As his weapon returned to his hand, Link examined it, as did Navi; nothing had really changed, except for a small green button being added on the back of the handle. When Link pressed it once, the point of the chain opened into a four-pronged claw, and closed when Link pressed the button again. "Link!" Navi exclaimed. "Your Longshot has been upgraded! It's now a Switch-Shot!"

"A Switch-Shot?" Link asked. "What's _that_?"

"When you press that button, and then fire at something, you'll switch places with whatever you fired at!" Navi explained. Just then, the platform rose up into the air, and Link could see the next door, on a platform _well_ out of jump-range. Next to the door was a strange, diamond-shaped block, in range of his Switch-Shot. "Try it out!" Navi chirped. Taking aim, Link pressed the button, opening the claw, and fired at the block; the spring-loaded chain lanced out, and the claw snagged the block, and then Link, the Switch-Shot, and the block all suddenly glowed for a moment. When the glow faded, Link was now standing where the block had been, the block now on _his_ former spot. Retracting the Switch-Shot and putting it away, Link opened the door, and continued on.

The next room's new exit was atop a very tall pillar, with one smaller pillar before it. Link came out at the lowest level, a shallow pool of water before him, a floor-switch next to him, and a diamond-block in front of him; the switch was the kind that required constant pressure to work. When Link stepped on it, water began to fill the chamber, but once he began to float, the switch shut off, and the water drained off.

But the diamond-block didn't float; it was too heavy.

Activating his Switch-Shot, Link stepped on the switch again, and fired on the block, switching the block onto the switch, and filling the room with water up to the level of the middle pillar. Swimming over and climbing onto it, Link saw another switch and another block; he promptly stood on the switch and fired his Switch-Shot, flip-flopping the block onto the switch, filling up the room with enough water to reach the next door. Link climbed out, opened the door, and headed in.

The final room had no exit, only a deep, circular pool of water, with a circular rim for walking. Suddenly, from out of the water, a huge, semi-translucent jellyfish, glowing blue, with beady black eyes, rose up. "Link, that's the Plasmarinus, the Bio-Electric Jellyfish!" Navi cried. "You can't strike it with your Sword, or you'll get electrocuted! It has two electrical polarities, and the only way to harm it is to disrupt its electric field by turning its electrical attacks back on it, and _then_ using your Sword!"

As the Plasmarinus floated into the air, towards Link, it fired a blue ball of electrical energy at him. Drawing his Sword and Shield, Link knew what to do; he waited until the blast was in range, and then slashed at it, to send it back at the Plasmarinus.

_CRACKLE-ZAP!_

Link was knocked back as the blast's charge conducted up his blade and into him. As he got back on his feet, Navi cried, "_No_, Link, that won't work! Besides, only a blast of the _opposite_ polarity will work! You have to make it switch polarities first!"

"Switch polarities..." Link muttered, and then it dawned on him. "_Switch_...of _course_! Why didn't I think of it before!"

Now the Plasmarinus was floating above the rim, and Link slowly backed up. The jellyfish fired another blue blast, and Link drew and armed his Switch-Shot, firing on the Plasmarinus, switching places with it. As he did, the Plasmarinus changed color from blue to glowing red; Link had not only switched places with it, but he'd switched its polarities. Link retracted the chain _just_ as the blast hit his foe, completely depolarizing its electric field, leaving it pale white, and dull, hovering helplessly. Putting the chain weapon away, Link drew his Sword and Shield, and charged at the jellyfish, unleashing a blinding-fast series of sword-slices. Link then leapt away as the Plasmarinus began to glow red again, its field re-polarized. When it fired a red blast, Link flip-flopped their positions again, turning it blue...and then dull white, as its own attack disabled it, allowing Link to unleash another slashing salvo.

Recovering, the Plasmarinus began to glow bright white, before unleashing a barrage of lightning bolts from its body, which Link managed to evade, before the jellyfish turned blue once more. As it fired at him, Link switched with it once again, and delivered a final, leaping slash, finishing it; the Plasmarinus shuddered, and simply evaporated.

Once the monster was gone, out of the pool rose an altar of aquamarine, a blue stone path forming over the pool, leading to it, and on the altar was a sphere of gleaming blue light: the Water Essence. Link walked up and collected it; once he had it, a bright light engulfed him, transporting him out of the Sanctum.

Link reappeared back on the beach, the last Essence in his hand. He'd done it. He'd collected all four Essences. Now, he could destroy Vaati's powers, and make _sure_ that the vile sorcerer never harmed anyone _again_. Also, _now_ he could force Lord Ruthlage's hand, and expose what role the arrogant noble had played in Vaati's plot.

But to do that, he'd have to be _more_ clever than Ruthlage; _this_ foe could not be beaten with a simple blade. He'd have to be _more_ cunning than his foe, a man who thought him a simple peasant, a _fool_...

Link knew how to outwit him. '_Rauru!_' Link called to the Sage of Light with his mind.

'_Yes, Link?_'

'_Contact the King._' Link instructed. '_Tell him what I now tell you: I have a plan..._'

In the Palace of Storms, Vaati was meditating in his private lair, gathering his strength...when his two allies barged in. "Who _dares_!" Vaati hissed, whirling around.

"Enough of your delays!" the younger one snarled. "We can wait no longer, sorcerer! We have to move on the Castle _now_! Every moment we delay is another moment that Link has to thwart us, making it more difficult to remove him, and another moment he has to exert his influence over Princess Zelda!"

Vaati chuckled. "So, young one, you have some aim for the throne?" he mocked. "Or is it the Princess _herself_ you desire?"

"She's _mine_." the young noble growled. "And I will _not_ allow some..._peasant_ to steal what is rightfully mine!"

"Hush, son!" the elder commanded. To Vaati, he added, "Essentially, my son is correct, Vaati. We cannot delay any longer."

"We won't." Vaati replied, standing up. "My preparations are complete." His next words _burned_ through the air.

"We move on Hyrule Castle _tonight_."


	10. Chapter 8

CHAPTER EIGHT: CONFRONTATIONS

By the time Link reached Hyrule Castle, the sun was setting. He'd used the Prelude of Light to warp to the Temple of Time, and then headed for the Castle, his plan having already been delivered to the King.

When he reached the throne room, Link saw the King on his throne, and Lord Ruthlage was there, as well. "Sire, I am sorry that I am late." Link said. The King nodded; he was ready.

"Sire, what is this?" Ruthlage asked, regarding Link disdainfully. "Why is _he_ here?"

"Ruthlage, I'd intended to speak to both of you," the King replied, "but I must address other matters first. Please wait until I return." With that, he left the room.

Once the King was gone, Link said, "He's a good man."

The statement surprised Ruthlage. "Pardon?"

"The King. He's a good man." Link continued. "He's trying to rebuild an entire kingdom after seven years of darkness, and rebuild hope in his subjects. _Plus_, he has a daughter to look after, a wonderful daughter who doesn't deserve to be terrorized by the dark forces at work here. Both the King _and_ the Princess have been through _enough_." He turned to face the noble, fixing him with a glare that could terrify even the most fearsome Moblins, causing Ruthlage to back up. "And you aren't helping by sending your goons to attack caravans, not to _mention_ whatever deals you have with Vaati."

"How _dare_ you!!" Ruthlage yelled, in false indignation. "How _dare_ you insinuate..!"

But Link simply took out the cloth he'd found, and showed Ruthlage the crest on it. "Don't play dumb, Ruthlage." he growled. "You've had a hand in what's been going on, and I want to know _why_."

Ruthlage calmed, his expression showing his thoughts: though he thought he was dealing with nothing more than a lowly peasant, he now knew he wasn't dealing with an idiot. He walked over to a window, and gestured out at the land, under the setting sun. "Tell me, boy, what do you see?" he asked.

Link followed him, and looked out the window. "I see Hyrule." he answered simply.

Ruthlage put his hand to his head, as if developing a headache. "That wasn't what I meant." he said. "What do you _see_?"

"Well...I see land." Link replied.

"Very good!" Ruthlage said condescendingly. "But what _kind_ of land do you see?"

"I...I don't know." Link admitted.

"Then let me educate you." Ruthlage sighed. "_I_ see bountiful farmlands, that can raise many rich harvests; valuable mining land with rich mineral deposits; lands that many trade caravans must pass through from the sea-lines to the Castle and back again; land that, once controlled and included in an estate, will bring a nobleman greater wealth and prestige than he could ever _imagine_." He chuckled. "Let me properly explain it, so you'll understand – after all, who are _you_ going to tell? Initially, the plan was to have raiders attack caravans going through the lands in question regularly, so that the commoners would cry for their king to protect them. And the King, poor man, would be so busy in rebuilding that he would be unable to send troops to defend his poor citizens. And _that_, boy, is where _I_ come in. Once the King realized that _he_ couldn't save his precious people, _I_ – along with my private armies – would volunteer to do so on his behalf. At this point, _I_ control those areas. I gain the riches while His Highness thinks I've done him a favor!"

His expression turned sour. "That _was_ the plan, at least, until _you_ showed up and ruined it." he growled. "Had the plan worked, the King may have been more inclined to accept my son's proposal to negotiations for the Princess' hand in marriage. That's _another_ of my plans you've ruined, boy; no _wonder_ Ganondorf hated you."

"You sound as if you know him." Link said calmly, restraining his fury, trying _not_ to pound Ruthlage _flat_.

"Only as a brief acquaintance." Ruthlage admitted. "You see, before he ever set foot in Hyrule Castle, he came to me to discuss his plans. Though he had an army that could conquer the Castle sooner or later, he wanted it _sooner_. So, I had the gates opened to let him in, and he got the victory he wanted; the King was captured, and the Knights fled, though a few died. From then on, the Knights kept trying to rescue their King, but to no avail. As for myself, my estate was left intact, and Ganondorf's forces never really bothered with any of the other nobles; he was too busy searching for the one who held the Master Sword – _you_ – and the missing Princess. And that was the last I ever heard of him. Seven years later, upon hearing that his rule was failing, that Ganondorf might be overthrown, I formed this little plan, but then _you_ started thwarting that plan by driving the raiders away."

"And how does Vaati fit in?" Link asked.

"Simple." Ruthlage replied. "Two weeks after you _allegedly_ slay Ganondorf, Vaati comes in with his own plan. He kidnaps the Princess, and as her father hands both you _and_ his crown over, _he_ drains the girl's magic powers – it seems that our dear Princess is a half-Fairy, with all the magic of her mother."

"I know." Link said.

"Oh, do you? Well, not that it matters." Ruthlage sneered. "Apparently, with Ganondorf gone, Vaati needed a new energy source to maintain his strength...and Her Highness fits the bill."

"So..." Link growled, "...all this...just for _land_."

"Only at first." Ruthlage said, smiling slyly. "Later, I'd planned to stick Vaati with a knife once he'd begun to drain Zelda, but _after_ he'd gotten rid of you _and_ her father; _then_ I'd tell her that it was _Caspian_ that saved her. Of course, she'd fall for her new hero on the spot. Then, I'd have no choice but to accept the throne with a heavy heart...and legitimized by my son's wedding to the Princess."

"Ruthlage..." Link snarled, "...you are a _sick_ man."

Ruthlage's eyes narrowed. "I could have you flayed alive for such insolence!" he sneered.

"And the _King_ could have _you _strung up for _treason_." Link snapped back.

Ruthlage laughed. "And who's going to tell him? _You_?!" he sneered. "Even if the King believed you, no-one in the Court would accept it from a _commoner_! You'd be laughed right out of the Castle!"

"Would they accept it from a noble?" Link inquired. "I can name _one_ noble who'd confess."

"Oh, _really_?" Ruthlage sneered. "_Who_?!"

"_You_." Link said, smiling knowingly. He then called out to where the King had left: "Wouldn't you agree, Sire?"

At that, both the King and Zelda walked into view, having heard it all.

Ruthlage's expression was almost _comical_.

Zelda looked shocked and saddened; even though she hadn't liked Ruthlage, she hadn't thought him capable of this. "All...all those people who died in the invasion..." she sniffed. "How...how _could_ you?"

The King was _beyond_ furious. "_Ruthlage!!!_" he roared. "_You TRAITOR!!!!_"

Lord Ruthlage was frozen in incredulous bewilderment for a few moments...and then he glared at Link. "_Outsmarted_...by _gutter-trash_!!" he roared. "Well, it matters not! There are events set in motion that you cannot stop!"

"Guards!! Seize him!!" the King commanded. A group of palace soldiers moved to arrest Lord Ruthlage, but the traitorous noble ran, and Link ran after him, followed by the King.

"You're both too late!" Ruthlage crowed. "Vaati's army is already here, by now! They'll slaughter you all!"

"_Knights!_" the King yelled as they ran. "_Knights, to arms!_" At once, the Knights began to assemble, following their King.

Link chased Ruthlage to the Main Hall...just as Vaati's Moblin army burst through the Main Hall's doors. Link unsheathed his weapons to engage the enemies, losing track of Ruthlage. Using his Time Magic, Link cut down several waves of Moblins in mere seconds, but more just kept coming...

But, by then, the Knights had arrived. "We'll 'old 'em back, laddie!" Sir Cortez called. "Get to the Princess!"

_Zelda_! She was in danger! If Vaati got to her...Link turned and ran back towards the throne room.

"Oh, _no_, you don't!" Ruthlage yelled, as he leapt out at Link, rapier drawn. "You won't be wrecking any more of my plans, you gutter-rodent! _Now_ I'll _teach_ you your place!!" Then, he charged at Link.

Link simply swept Ruthlage's stab-attack aside with a low, sweeping block with his Sword. He then enveloped the blade, knocking the rapier away, disarming Ruthlage, then pulled the Master Sword back, charging its power, and unleashed a crescent-shaped energy beam, knocking Ruthlage back a good ten feet.

Sheathing his weapons, Link was about to keep going, when the King walked up, and glared at Ruthlage's stunned form. "Now, traitor," he snarled at Ruthlage, "you shall answer for your crimes!"

"I think _not_!!" Ruthlage snarled, as he got up, holding a small dagger. Like lightning, he threw it at the King, aimed at the heart.

Link had to act fast. He leapt backwards toward the King, using his Time Magic to Slow-Down the dagger. Taking hold of the King's shoulder, he drew and armed the Switch-Shot, hoping there was enough time. He fired. The hook-claw snagged Ruthlage _just_ as the time-flow resumed, switching Ruthlage's position with Link and the King's...and causing Ruthlage's own dagger to pierce the evil noble's black heart. Ruthlage gasped, clutching at his wound, his red life-blood leaking through his white shirt, turning it dark red. "_You_..." Ruthlage gasped, "...you ruined it all..we'll _get_ you..." Then, Lord Ruthlage died.

As Link put the Switch-Shot away, the King looked upon the corpse. "Died on his own weapon." he said. "A fitting end for a traitor."

"Sire," Link said, "the Princess..."

"Yes, I know, so _go_!" the King urged him. "Go make sure my daughter is safe!"

"Yes, Sire!" Link said, and he hurried off.

From his hiding place, Caspian had seen it, seen what that _commoner_ had done. He'd tricked his father, ruined their plans, humiliated his father – and his entire _household_, in effect – and then used his little switching-gadget so that his father's own weapon slew him.

This could _not_ be tolerated; this was an insult to his entire _family_, and there was only _one_ response: _vendetta_.

He'd _get_ Link if it was the last thing he ever did...and Zelda would be his.

After Link had gone after Ruthlage, Zelda had simply waited in the throne room. After a few minutes, Zelda began to get nervous. Something was wrong...

"Hello, Princess."

At that, Zelda whirled around...and froze as she saw Vaati's misshapen form floating there. "Your time has come, girl." Vaati hissed. "You and your family are _done_."

Zelda couldn't move; she was _terrified_...until she realized that unless she faced her fears, they'd never leave her any peace. "_No_, you old monster!" Zelda yelled. "_You're_ the one who's done!" With that, she summoned her magic, transforming into her Fairy-form, and flying up to Vaati's level.

"So, you have _some_ control over your powers!" Vaati sneered. "But you haven't the power needed to face me."

"I'll show you my power!" Zelda declared, and she charged two blue spell-spheres, and flung them at Vaati, and they exploded, enveloping Vaati in a cloud of residual magic. When the cloud cleared...Vaati was unharmed. Zelda flew at Vaati until she was inches from him, then flew above him, firing a multitude of magic blasts, all of which spanged harmlessly off of some enchanted shield which Vaati had raised.

"_Enough_!!" Vaati roared, and he struck; numerous tendrils of darkness lanced from his misshapen hand towards Zelda. The tendrils then wrapped themselves mercilessly around Zelda, tying up her arms, her legs, her neck, and her waist, and several tendrils enveloped her wings, coating them in oily darkness. Her power of flight disabled, Zelda fell to the floor, landing hard with a tiny cry. "Not bad, child. Had you any formal magical training, you might have had a chance. But now, I must kill you, and drain your powers, and then I shall lord over all Hyrule!"

"_No_!!" Zelda cried, desperately struggling to get free. It was no use; the darkness of the tendrils was sapping her energy, rendering her helpless. All she could do was watch as Vaati, her doom, floated closer, to finish her off...

When Link reached the throne room, he saw Vaati approaching the trapped Zelda. Like lightning, he drew his Sword and leapt at the tendrils, severing them in one cut, both freeing Zelda and driving Vaati back. Hurrying to Zelda's side and finding her unhurt, he lifted her into his arms, and carried her to the side, where she'd be safer. "Zelda, are you okay?" he whispered. "Oh, _please_, Zel, speak to me!"

Slowly, Zelda's eyes met his. "Link?" the lovely young Fairy asked. Then, she embraced him, crying, "Oh, Link, you came just in time!"

"Oh, Zel, I'm so sorry. I should _never_ have left you alone!" Link exclaimed. "I _promise_, I'll never let you out of my sight again, _ever_!"

"Hush, my sweet hero. It isn't your fault." Zelda cooed, smiling as Link laid her in a corner, to rest safely. "I don't blame you."

Link smiled, before giving his beloved a loving kiss, which she happily returned. "Now, if you'll excuse me, sweetheart," he said, "I have a sorcerer to slay." With that, he turned, and walked back towards Vaati.

"Meddling _whelp_!!" Vaati snarled. "You've interfered for the final time!!"

Link just glared back, his mind focusing on the task at hand. He had the Essences, but how could he use them? He didn't know _how_ to use their power...

'_Link!_' Rauru's mental voice pierced his thoughts. '_Use your Bow, and aim for Vaati's eye – it's his weak spot! Our Sage powers were only enough to seal Vaati, but with the Essences joined with our powers, you can learn the magic of the Sacred Arrow, a magic even **stronger** than your Light Arrow! Its magic can tear through even the **strongest** of enchanted defenses; no evil magic can withstand it! Use the Arrow, Link! Slay Vaati, and end his evil FOREVER!_'

At once, Link drew his Fairy Bow, and fit an arrow to it, before concentrating. Instantly, the four Essences surrounded him, as well as six spheres of energy: one golden-yellow, one forest-green, one flame-red, one ocean-blue, one shadowy-purple, and one sandy-orange – the powers of the Sages. Then, all that power entered him, teaching him the spell of the Sacred Arrow.

Link pulled the arrow back, and charged it with magic, turning it into a gleaming-white Sacred Arrow. He then let it fly, and it punctured Vaati's all-seeing eye, blinding him and crippling his magic. "_AAARRRGGGHHH!!!_" Vaati howled. "_HOW_?! HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO _ME_, VAATI, MASTER OF WIND AND SHADOW?! I AM _INVINCIBLE_!! HOW CAN IT _BE_?!"

"Your time is up, sorcerer." Link said. "You will _never_ frighten Zelda _again_!!!"

Out of desperation, Vaati began using his withering magic wildly, sending windstorms and dark-blasts randomly, trying to strike Link, but each attack failed, due to the fact that Vaati had very little power left, and that Link could dodge his attacks.

As Vaati sent a dark-blast at him, Link shifted into Hyper-Time, moving outside of Time's flow, setting up some magic-attacks of his own. He came out of Hyper-Time, first firing several beams of pure light at the crippled monster; when Vaati turned to counter, Link was already back in Hyper-Time, warping behind Vaati, where he summoned up the winds, slashing Vaati with razor-gales. Link warped away, moving beyond Time, coming out of Hyper-Time to Vaati's side, his Sword sheathed, forming a flaming blade in his right hand, and a frosty flail in his left, and he unleashed a two-pronged elemental attack on Vaati.

Drawing his Sword and Shield, Link cast Speed-Up on himself, and charged at Vaati, leaping into a somersault whirling-slash, slicing Vaati; he was moving too fast for the sorcerer to even _see_ him. Vaati sent numerous lightning bolts at Link, but Link used Slow-Down, giving him the perfect timing he needed to use his Sword to slash the bolts, sending them flying back at Vaati. Then, drawing the Switch-Shot, Link darted beneath the hovering Vaati, and fired, switching places with him, moving Vaati low to the ground, with Link up high...and Link drove the Blade of Evil's-Bane into Vaati's eye as he fell back down.

Now Link stood atop Vaati's eye, the Master Sword buried in the pupil. "What..._are_...you?" Vaati choked out.

"I am the Hero of Time," Link declared, "Defender of Hyrule, Protector of the Weak, and Upholder of the Just! All men and beasts who serve the dark had best be wary of me!" Then, his voice turned cold, and, to Vaati, he added, "_So give my best to Ganondorf when you see him._" With that, he drove the holy blade deeper into Vaati's eye. Vaati gasped...and began to turn to stone, as Link withdrew the Master Sword and sheathed it, hopping off, as Vaati's stone corpse began to crumble into dust, then vanishing into purple smoke, which rapidly dissipated.

Vaati was no more.

As Link caught his breath, he saw Zelda, still in Fairy-form, slowly walk over to him. She looked to where Vaati had been. "He's...gone?" she asked.

Link nodded. "The sorcerer Vaati shall trouble you no more, my love."

Zelda smiled radiantly at that, tears of joy brimming in her beautiful eyes. "Link...you've rid my family of a terror that's haunted the Royal Family for half a millennium!" she cooed. "I...I'm so _grateful_!"

"Hush, now, my darling." Link soothed, embracing her tenderly. "I'm only glad that you're safe, and that you never have to fear again."

Zelda nuzzled into his chest, blissfully sighing. "That's _three_ times you've saved me." she cooed. "You _always_ save me, and you're always there when I need you."

"Of _course_!" Link replied. "I _love_ you."

Zelda looked up into Link's eyes, her sapphire gems sparkling happily. "I love you, too." she cooed.

Link needed no words to show this wonderful, enchanting young woman how he felt about her. Swiftly, smoothly, he moved down to her and snared her lips in a powerful kiss. He heard Zelda's initial gasp of surprise...which became a blissful sigh of contentment as she eagerly reciprocated. He felt her silky arms wreath around his neck as he held her closer, gently lifting her up so that their faces were level, allowing him to deepen the kiss. His tongue wove into her anxious mouth, exploring her sweet recesses as her tongue met with his, playing their exquisite game of pure desire and love.

They both quickly forgot the defeated Vaati, and everyone _else,_ for that matter. Nothing else mattered to them right now...nothing but each other.

As Andreus headed back to the throne room, he sighed in sheer exhaustion. He'd helped the Knights hold back Vaati's army...only to have said army suddenly evaporate into nothingness. Link must have slain Vaati; there was no other explanation. He then reached the throne room...

...and stopped as he saw Link and Zelda, in her Fairy-form, passionately kissing, oblivious to all but each other.

Well, at least he now knew that Link _must_ have succeeded. "Ahem." he cleared his throat politely, hoping to get their attention...to no avail. "A-_hem_." he tried again, but with no effect. Now Andreus tried to suppress his laughter; he really couldn't blame them. Those two were so deeply, _madly_ in love with each other; it wouldn't have mattered if the entire _Court_ were present.

Then, Andreus got treated to a _real_ show, as a blue aura surrounded his daughter, and a white glow began emanating from Link, their magic powers interacting from their heightened emotions, their deep, pure love. The entire throne room _exploded_ with luminous color: blues and reds, greens and yellows, oranges and violets, all swirling in constant motion, with tiny, sparkling pixie-lights darting around the room, with the happy couple at the center, a rainbow aura-dome around them.

It was an aurora, the kind seen in Hyrule during the Festival of Winter Solstice. Now Andreus understood why Alara had given their daughter the middle name "Aurora" on her deathbed; _this_ was the reason, this beautiful expression of his daughter's heart, produced with the aid of the man she loved, the man who was now kissing her, the man who'd made her happy enough to perform this little miracle: _Link_. Link truly was the one Zelda was destined for, no doubt about it.

Andreus simply stayed back and kept silent, watching the lovely aurora of magic; he'd only stay a minute or two before leaving, to give them their privacy.

King Andreus wasn't the only one who saw the happy couple.

From his hiding spot, Caspian saw the two, barely containing his disgust, barely keeping himself from going out and sending Link _packing_, for both murdering his father and _daring_ to touch the Princess, _his_ future wife.

He'd intended to slay Link at _once_ upon catching up to him, but he couldn't now, not with the King present; he couldn't pin Link's death on Vaati, now. He had to play his hand _carefully_, without revealing _his_ part in the conspiracy.

So, for now, he'd wait, bide his time...and refrain from trouncing that peasant every time he put his filthy hands on _his_ woman. Why, just look at what he was doing _now_, kissing the Princess as though she were _any_ girl, as if he could _ever_ be good enough for her! And _worse_, Zelda acted like she actually _wanted_ it!!

'_She'll learn._' Caspian thought to himself. '_Enjoy your little victory, Link, because I'll make sure it's your last._'

But it would be in time, yes. All in due time.

_Well, folks, only one chapter left. I hope you liked this one! In the next chapter, some questions will at long last be answered. If you liked this chapter, please review! See you soon!_


	11. Epilogue

_Author's Note: Here it is, the last chapter of the story. I hope to have the extra sneak preview up later today. Thank you all for your reviews! I hope to hear from you all again on my next story! Enjoy!_

EPILOGUE: REVELATIONS

The next day, in the afternoon at Hyrule Castle, Link was present, along with Zelda, and the King's most trusted Knights, as the King gave another speech to the people, about how proud he was of each and ever citizen of Hyrule, how well they'd banded together and endured the darkness. He'd praised Link, too, for driving the shadow of Vaati away.

That was one thing that Link admired about the King: he led by example.

Zelda had her arm around Link's elbow while her father delivered his speech, clad in her regular gown, in her normal Hylian form. Noticing Link's somber expression, she asked sweetly, "Link, what's wrong?"

Smiling for her, Link replied softly, "Don't worry about it, Zel. It's just that...I feel guilty about what happened to Ruthlage." The King had kept what had actually taken place a secret, to avoid further grumbling from the nobles, and to keep Caspian from pursuing vengeance. "In my quests, I've slain monsters, demons, sorcerers, but never mortal men; I've slain Ganondorf's Captain, who was empowered by dark magic, and when I slew Ganondorf, he was already more demonic beast than mortal man. But _Ruthlage_...he was mortal. I just...have to wonder..._was_ there another way?"

Zelda tenderly squeezed his arm. "Don't blame yourself for it, Link." she soothed. "Lord Ruthlage betrayed _all_ of Hyrule. His death was _bound_ to catch up with him. Plus, you _saved_ the King...my father. Please...don't blame yourself."

That was one of the many reasons Link loved Zelda: she was wise beyond her years; after all, she held the Triforce of Wisdom. Smiling, Link whispered, "I love you, Zel." into her ear.

Blushing happily, Zelda softly replied, "I love you, too."

By then, the King had finished his speech, and the crowd dispersed, as the King, Link, Zelda, and the Knights went back into the Castle. Then, all of a sudden, many of the nobles surrounded Link, separating him from Zelda. At first, Link was on guard...until the nobles began congratulating him, expressing their appreciation for his efforts. Link simply waved Zelda and her father to go on ahead, and he'd catch up later. He'd already sensed their intention.

The nobles feared him, now, and were trying to placate him.

Once the nobles' chatter of appeasement was done, they all left, save one: Caspian – _Lord_ Caspian, now – and he looked cross. "I assume you have something...else to say." Link said calmly.

"I _know_, peasant."

Link was confused. "You...know?"

"I know what you did to my father." Caspian snarled. "Your little...switching trick? I know _all_ about it."

Link's eyes narrowed. "Then you _also_ know how your father tried to betray the King, and _then_ tried to murder him." he said coldly.

"I don't care what _he_ did...only what _you_ did. You have insulted my household, my entire _family_, peasant, and there is but one response: _vendetta_. As of now, I am your _blood enemy_." Caspian growled. "I will _destroy_ you."

"I believe Vaati _and_ Ganondorf made similar boasts, 'my Lord,'" Link answered, "and I'm still here."

"Just _watch_ yourself." Caspian sneered. "Your favor with the King prevents me from having you put to death _now_...but sooner or later, you'll slip up. And when you _do_...I'll hunt you down like the dog you are, and then Zelda will be all _mine_, as will the throne."

Link's eyes narrowed. "Try to harm Zelda, 'my Lord,' and I'll make your father's death seem a _kindness_." he snarled. "I suggest you watch your _own_ back, for if I _ever_ find out that _you_ had a hand in the treachery...you'd best _pray_ that the King finds you before _I_ do." _That_ scared the arrogant young noble, and Link simply left, to catch up with Zelda.

When he caught up to Zelda and her father in the throne room, Link saw that the King was barely keeping himself from smiling. "I have a surprise for each of you." he said. To Link, he added, "Link, a few days ago, I met with the personal representative of a very important and powerful person: Kondar Wingnar, the Emperor of Aldare, ruler of the entire Aldarian Empire."

At that, Zelda gasped. "The..._Aldarian Empire_?! The _Sky_ Empire?!" she exclaimed. "The Emperor's messenger came _here_?!"

"What's the Aldarian Empire?" Link inquired.

"Link, the Empire is the most advanced, most powerful nation in our world, both in magic _and_ in technology!" Zelda exclaimed. "For its Emperor to send his _personal_ representative, it must involve something of _grave_ importance!"

"Indeed it did." the King agreed. "Eighteen years ago, it seems that the personal Skyship of the Imperial Family was involved in an...incident, though I do not yet know the specifics. No-one was killed...but it caused one of the ship's life-pods to be ejected...the one carrying their newborn son. The Emperor and Empress have been searching for their long-lost Crown Prince ever since."

Now Link became aware of the people standing in the background. "The message the Emperor sent me detailed his belief that the life-pod may have landed in Hyrule; he explained that his son had great magical power, and that there would be a marker on his right hand." the King continued. "He asked me to keep this quiet until a positive identification could be made." He then looked to the people in the back ground; one of them nodded. "Link," the King asked, "may I see your right hand?" Taking off his gauntlet, Link showed him the falcon-mark on his hand. Smiling in confirmation, the King called to those in the back, "You were right! It _is_ him!"

Slowly, two people walked into view: they were a man and a woman, both somewhere in their early forties. The man was tall, a bit taller than Link, with the same build. His face was _very_ similar to Link's, with some lines from both joy and sorrow – the look of a man who easily bore the responsibilities of an Empire – on his face, with short, dark-blond hair, cobalt-blue eyes, and a short moustache and a small goatee beard. He was clad in a long-sleeved black shirt, black pants, and black boots, with a long, quartz-purple trench-coat over it, with black gauntlets, holding a silver scepter with a dragon-shaped silver carving at its tip, and a simple gold head-ring around his forehead.

The woman was a bit shorter than Link, elegantly built, with long, ebony hair and emerald eyes, clad in a long, quartz-purple gown, a silver tiara around her head.

"Link," the King said, "these are Kondar and Varila Wingnar, the Emperor and Empress of Aldare, rulers of the Magi people...and your parents."

Link froze, utterly speechless. These were his _real_ parents? To the Emperor, he murmured, "Father..?" To the Empress, he whispered, "Mother..?"

Emperor Kondar smiled, and nodded. "Hello, son." he whispered.

Empress Varila rushed to Link and embraced him, joyful tears in her eyes. "My _baby_!" she cried. "Thank the Three we've finally found you!"

"Mama..." Link murmured, slowly returning his mother's embrace.

"Son...we've been looking for you for so long." Kondar said. He chuckled. "Your mother's been inconsolable." he teased. "She was turning the Empire upside-down to find you!"

"I'm...sorry I worried you." Link murmured. "The...life-pod landed in the Kokiri Forest. I lived there until I was ten, and..."

"You don't have to tell us all at once, Son." Kondar assured him. "We're just glad to have you back, and we'd love to hear _all_ of your story. I'm sure it's been quite an adventure..."

"_BIG BROTHER!!!_"

Link was taken completely by surprise, as a little blue-and-yellow blur tackled right into him, knocking him down. Link was startled at first...until he saw that the blur was, in fact, a little girl, only about six years old; she was a tiny little thing, delicately built, with sapphire-blue eyes, and mid-length golden blond hair, tied in two pigtails. She was clad in a simple, bright blue child's dress, with flowers embroidered into it.

And she was hugging the stuffing out of him.

Kondar chuckled. "Oh, I nearly forgot, Son! This is Aryll, your little sister."

Link was amazed...and overjoyed. "I...I have a little sister?" he asked, barely able to suppress his smile.

"Big Brother, I'm so happy to meet you!" Aryll all but squealed, her hug doubling in joyful strength. "Mommy and Daddy told me all about how really smart you were, and they were looking for you, and that they wanted to use more ships, but they couldn't, because of the war, and Mommy was really, really sad, and..."

"Aryll, _breathe_!" Link laughed, giving his little sister a hug. "And I'm happy to meet you, too!" Then, Link stood up, and picked up his little sister, letting her sit on his shoulders, to Aryll's delight. He couldn't help but notice Zelda's smile; she was happy for him. Then, he turned to his father, Aryll's words making him curious. "Father...Aryll just mentioned a war. What war?"

Kondar's expression turned grave. "Son...when we lost you...it was no accident." he said. "You see, son...our civilization...did not originate on this planet."

Link felt Zelda give his hand a squeeze; he hadn't noticed when she'd started holding his hand, but was glad that she had.

"Our society originated on the distant planet of Aldare Prime, in a galaxy very, very far from here." Kondar said. "Our society had endured a long war, between the magic-users and the wielders of technology; after so long, both sides put aside their differences, and joined together in the Aldarian Republic. We quickly developed technology to travel in space, the fusion of science and magic making progress infinitely faster, and we colonized many of the surrounding planets in our system. Eventually, the Republic became an Empire, and our family was elected by the people to rule."

Link smiled; he was glad that his family had been _chosen_ by the people to rule.

"This was a golden time for our people...but it did not last." Kondar said. "Two centuries after the end of the Unifying War, a representative of the Geological Guild indicated that the core of the planet was undergoing radical changes; the planet was going to explode."

Link was shocked. Zelda gasped.

"A massive galactic evacuation was organized, for the explosion was calculated to be large enough to wipe out all life in our system." Kondar continued. "The Engineering Guild had recently developed a new technology: Quantum Slipstream. This technology made it possible for our ships to safely travel faster than light. We had about a year before the planet exploded, and we spent it by installing Slipstream systems in all of our existing ships, and developing massive Ark-Class Carrier ships, to hold our people. Finally, the preparations were complete, and we fled our dying system...and not a moment too soon; seconds after we entered Slipstream, Aldare Prime exploded."

"We wandered the universe for a time after that, meeting many alien civilizations, exchanging knowledge with those we found to be peaceful, searching for a new home." Kondar finished. "At last, we found it: a planet with atmospheric and environmental conditions practically identical to Aldare Prime, inhabited by people whose appearance and belief-system highly resembled ours. Slowly, we arrived at this planet, and built our Skycities, and then our land and sea colonies on the surface."

"That's...amazing, Father," Link said, "but, how does it relate to this war?"

"During our travels, we encountered a race known as the Shadows." Kondar said. "They were a violent, warlike people. We once passed through their space on the way to this planet. They attacked us at every turn, but we easily repelled them: our technology was infinitely superior to theirs. Eighteen years ago, our ship, the _Unity_, while on a survey of our colonies on the nearby red planet, was attacked by a Shadow vessel; we were taken by surprise, and your life-pod was ejected, programmed to head for our planet. The Shadows had been expanding their own empire, and was now reaching into this system. For the past eighteen years, we've been pushing the Shadows back; we've almost pushed them all the way back to their home-world; we easily won the battles, but the space they controlled was incredibly vast, and their numbers were daunting. Now, the war is nearly over." He smiled. "And now we have found you; the Empire will be thrilled to know its Crown Prince has been found."

Link was amazed. "But...what did Aryll mean, 'how smart I was'?"

Kondar and Varila exchanged proud smiles. "You see, Link," Varila said, "in our society, when an individual shows signs of great potential, they are evaluated by the Excalibur Test; this Test is designed to analyze the intelligence and capabilities of the individual. The Test then recommends a possible career for the individual; the individual is not forced to take this career, but the Test usually predicts what the person would be best at."

Kondar smiled proudly. "Son...most gifted individuals do not begin to show signs until early-to-mid adolescence; the _earliest_ we'd seen before was at the age of ten." he said. "Link...you started showing signs only a few days after birth. You were already crawling, which can take several _months_, even longer. You were copying sounds. When we let you out of your crib, you were trying to read holographic novels. Naturally, we had the Excalibur Test evaluate you."

"The Test gave amazing results." Varila finished. "Link...the Test indicated that you had the highest intelligence score ever recorded; that you had a perfect, eidetic memory; that your potential for magic was incredibly – almost _abnormally_ – high."

Link gulped. "You mean...I'm some sort of...freak..?"

"Don't you _dare_ think that, young man!!" Varila scolded. "You are the most gifted child we've ever seen! We were – _are_ – so lucky to have you for our son!"

Link smiled. "Thank you." he said.

"_I'm_ lucky, too!" Aryll chirped. "My big brother's a genius!"

Link chuckled. "_Aryll_..." he groaned.

"She's right." Zelda said. "From what I've heard, it makes perfect sense. You've solved puzzles and mastered powers that could make lesser minds go _mad_, Link. You _are_ a genius."

"Ever since we discovered your abilities, Son, we had began to teach you at a young age." Kondar said. He smiled. "We couldn't keep the lessons coming _fast_ enough for you! Tactics, Advanced Spell-casting, Geography, Geology, Physics, History, Skyship Operations...your amazing little mind devoured _every_ subject we came up with! I'm quite anxious to see how much you remember, once we return home to Aldarus."

"'Aldarus'?" Link repeated.

"Aldarus, Skycity One, the capital of the Empire." Kondar said. "Your birthplace, Son." He smiled. "All of Aldare has missed its Crown Prince, Son; the Empire will rejoice when it learns you've been found."

Link glanced to Zelda; she was happy for him, but in her eyes, he saw a strange..._sadness_.

Then, King Andreus spoke up: "And for you, Zelda, I have a surprise, as well. It seems that, before your mother died, she made arrangements for you to attend the Eletale School for the Magic Arts, a place of study for all magical beings, once you discovered your powers."

At that, the last person stepped into view; she was an older lady, around the King's age, tall and elegantly built. She had a kindly face, with long, silvery-white hair tied in two buns atop her head, and emerald eyes, rimmed by spectacles, her complexion creamy, and she wore a long, light violet headmistress' gown. "This," the King added, "is Miss Delia Orianis, the School's Headmistress."

Delia smiled at Zelda. "Your father tells me that you've already transformed." she said. "Is that true?"

"Y-Yes." Zelda stammered.

"Why, that's _wonderful_! Child, most young Fairies like yourself can't do that until at _least_ four months of training and study!" Delia exclaimed. "We'd _love_ to have you attend! The School is just inside Hyrule's borders, so it's very close-by. Students spend six months at the school, followed by a four-month vacation, where students are encouraged to practice and continue studying."

"I'd...have to leave for six months?" Zelda asked.

"Yes." Delia answered, sensing Zelda's uncertainty. "Perhaps we should discuss this another time."

Kondar turned to King Andreus. "Well, King Andreus, I would like to extend my invitation for you, your daughter, and Headmistress Orianis to join us for a visit to one of our nearby colonies."

The King smiled. "Why, I'd be honored, Emperor Wingnar." he replied.

"As would I!" Delia added. "Where is this colony?"

"It's a sea-based colony, a distance to the southeast." Kondar said. "It's called Atlantis."

"Well, I would like very much to see this...Atlantis!" the King said. At that, Kondar gestured for everyone to follow him, and they all followed Link's father.

Kondar led them to the Outer Courtyard...where a strange, rectangular-parallelogram-shaped ship was resting. Link couldn't shake the feeling that he'd seen it before, somehow, in his memory. "Ah, this is the type of ship that your messenger used to come here." the King said.

"Yes." Kondar agreed. "It's called..."

"...a Herald-Class Speeder." Link finished. "It's the fastest type of ship in the Fleet." Then, he blinked. "How did I know that?"

Varila smiled. "Son...you're remembering." she said. "You're remembering your lessons..."

Kondar smiled. "So, Son...care to try flying it?"

Link was surprised...and then grinned. "Sure!" he replied. Kondar's smile grew, and he took out a small metal device, pressing a button on it. At once, the rear hatch of the Speeder lowered, allowing them all to enter the vessel.

The inside of the Speeder was familiar to Link; it had a large cargo hold in the back, where they immediately entered, and further in was an area with eight seats, aligned in two rows, the first two seats at the front had two consoles in front of them, before the glass window – the _wind-shield_, Link recalled, and this entire section was the _cockpit_, where the Speeder's flight was controlled. Link took the left-hand front seat, and Kondar took the seat next to him. The King, Zelda, Aryll, Varila, and Delia all took their seats; the instant they all sat down, metallic straps – _safety harnesses_ – extended across their chests.

Link looked at the control console, forcing himself to remember. He placed his two hands on the front of the console, seemingly made of crystal, but with lines – _circuitry_ – woven into it. He focused, concentrating on linking his will to the ship's systems. "Computer," he said, "activate primary engine." At once, a whirring began to emanate from the Speeder, as the wind-shield lit up in front of him, showing holographic diagrams – the diagrams showed radar, ship-status, flight path, and many other things, and Link's mind instantly recognized and understood each one. This was the _Heads-Up Display_, or _HUD_, Link recalled. "Target Atlantis beacon." Link instructed. Instantly, the radar screen zoomed out, showing two blips on the screen; a green one, representing the ship, and a red one for Atlantis. "Ascend." Link instructed, and the Speeder rose up, its whirring becoming louder, and two hand-held control sticks extended out, and Link grasped them; these were what steered the Speeder. Slowly, Link pushed forward; at once, the Speeder's engine-pods extended, and the ship began to move, first at an impressive clip, then faster, and faster, and _faster_, until they were zooming over the vast ocean, at speeds no Hyrulian had ever conceived possible.

"Good _heavens_," Link heard the King say, "I...I never thought _anything_ could move this fast!"

Kondar chuckled. "You're doing well, Son." he said. "Why, not many Speeder pilots show this kind of control on their first flight!"

Link smiled. "It just...seems so..._easy_." he said. "I can't imagine how anyone could find this difficult." As he flew the Speeder, he felt..._elated_. Flight was amazing. He felt at peace; he _belonged_ here, in the sky.

Just as he belonged with Zelda.

Then, Link saw it: Atlantis.

Far ahead, but nearing rapidly, Link saw a massive city, floating on the sea, made of countless, gleaming towers, highly advanced buildings, made of metal and crystal, some smooth and rounded, some more jagged, with the tallest tower in the center, with three points at its tip, almost like a trident. Around its edges were numerous ship-pads, where ships landed and took off, and around the entire city was an enormous, glowing dome – an energy shield, like the kind any Skycity or Skyship used, which could easily repel any attack. As they flew near, the shield automatically lowered, letting them in.

"By the Three..." the King said softly, "..is that..?"

"Yes." Kondar said. "Welcome, my dear friends, to the Atlantis Oceanic Base."

"It's...a research and planetary defense station, isn't it?" Link asked.

Kondar nodded in approval. "Yes, Son; at Atlantis, we research new energy resources. Our technology is primarily powered by rechargeable Crystalloid Energy Modules, or CEMs. However, when we came to this galaxy and began exploring, we encountered an asteroid field that was rich in a new element, with incredible energy potential; we called this new element Nadion. Atlantis was constructed to do research on the Nadion, and the research has been yielding promising results, thus far. Atlantis is now powered primarily by a Nadion reactor, giving it much more energy than our conventional CEMs, though we still have them as a back-up power source. Atlantis also has our most advanced weapon systems; it can shoot down an enemy force from orbit with ease, as well as defend against a ground-based enemy."

By then, the Speeder was getting close to Atlantis, and Link activated the Speeder's Auto-Landing System, instructing the ship's computer to land on its own. The Speeder gracefully touched down on a landing pad, as the city's shield automatically raised itself, again, surrounding all of Atlantis with its impenetrable barrier. Link then opened the hatch, and powered down the Speeder, and they all got out of the ship, getting onto a transport called a Turbo-Lift, a carrier which moved along a magnetic track, taking them into the city at incredible speeds, a small barrier around the lift, preventing them from feeling so much as a breeze.

The Lift took them to the central tower, taking them up to the highest level, where they could all look out over all of Atlantis. Link was amazed; Atlantis was _breathtaking_, a true wonder of the world. "I would like to speak with my son for a few moments." Kondar said to everyone else. "Please, feel free to enjoy the view." Everyone else nodded, and Kondar headed into another room, the door automatically sliding open, and Link followed.

The room was an office, with a desk in front of a large window overlooking Atlantis. "This is my office; I use it whenever I come here." Kondar said. Then, he smiled. "You and Zelda are in love, aren't you?"

Link nodded, smiling. "Yes, Father, we are."

Kondar smiled wider. "She's a charming, lovely young lady, Son. She's a wonderful match for you." he said. "So, Son, what have you been doing these past...eighteen years?" Then, Link told his father all that had happened to him.

When he'd finished, Kondar was amazed. "Son...you drew the legendary Blade of Evil's-Bane? Son, we'd all heard about the legend of that blade, and that it was drawn, eight years ago." he murmured. "You really drew it?"

"Yes, I did." Link replied.

Kondar smiled. "_My_ son, the legendary Hero of Time...Link I couldn't be more proud of you."

Link smiled back. "Thank you, Father." he said. "But now _I_ want to know about _you_! What's Aldare like?"

Chuckling, Kondar replied, "Well, our society is quite different from others. There is no nobility or peasantry; the only distinction between citizens is the kind of Guild they're employed in. There are Artists, Engineers, Agriculturists, Skyship-Pilots, and countless others. There is the Imperial Council, consisting of representatives from all the Guilds and all other groups among the citizens; the Council votes on issues concerning Aldarian society, and when the vote is concluded, I, as Emperor, either accept or reject the motion, depending on the vote. Finally, our people – the Magi people – are _all_ magic-users, Son."

"_Really_??" Link asked, amazed. "_Everyone_..?"

"Magic is the very life-blood of our society, Son." Kondar said. "We use it to power the engines that keep our cities afloat; in everyday life; and in the weapons of the Imperial Army and the Fleet." Placing a hand on Link's shoulder, he added, "And _our_ family holds a _secret_ power, Son: the power of the Grand Magus."

"_Who_??" Link asked.

"The Grand Magus was the first Emperor of Aldare, over 5000 years ago, before we left Aldare Prime." Kondar explained. "He was the first of what we now call a 'Master Magi,' a Magi whose powers come near those of the _Triforce_. He once traveled the stars; it was in the records of the Grand Magus that we learned the location of this planet, Son, a planet he once visited, his great power allowing him to span the galaxies in an _instant_. He once drove back the forces of darkness on this world, where he was once needed, before returning to us. There has never been another like him since, but the potential to 'ascend' has always been present in our family, Link...so we have _always_ exercised restraint in the use of our magic. We have many texts on the Grand Magus in the Imperial Library on Aldarus, Son. When we all head back there, you are welcome to read them."

Link's expression fell. "Father...I can't go back with you and Mother."

Kondar looked startled. "But...why?"

"It's not that I don't want to go; Aldare sounds amazing." Link explained. "But...I _swore_ to protect Hyrule from evil, and...I _can't_ leave Zelda."

Kondar smiled, understanding completely. "It's all right, Son." he said. "I understand, and I'm sure your mother will, as well." Then, his expression became a bit grim. "There are a few more things that I must tell you and the others, Son. Please come with me so that these concerns may be addressed." Link nodded, and followed his father towards the door. Before he opened it, Kondar turned, and embraced Link in a bone-crushing hug. "My boy's come home..." he said with fierce happiness, "_my boy's come HOME!_"

Link smiled, and returned the hug. "I'm glad to be back, Dad." he said. Then, the hug ended, and father and son left the office, rejoining the others.

When Link and his father rejoined the others, Kondar took a deep breath. "There are a few things that I must tell all of you." he said. "As I had mentioned before, in the war, we have been pushing the Shadows back, nearly back into their home system." Everyone nodded. "The past few months, the Shadows had been actively retreating from Shadow-occupied space, leaving behind fields of Quantum Mines, explosives that warp space itself, to prevent our forces from pursuing them, forcing us to disarm them. We had thought that this was merely a move of desperation, that the Shadows were about to give up." His expression turned grave. "We were wrong; the Shadows were merely buying time."

"Time for what?" Link asked.

"We managed to get a few cloaked deep-space probes through the mine-fields, to evaluate the situation." Kondar said. "The probes managed to reach a large sector of the Shadows' home system; over half of their entire fleet is there. Upon further analysis, we learned why: there's a Space-Fold coming."

"A... 'Space-Fold'?" Zelda asked. "What's that?"

Kondar gestured, and a holographic image appeared before them, showing a blue planet – _their_ planet – in space, and many systems away, was another planet, a dark red one, with many black, toxic clouds. Near that planet was a large nebula, with many times many red dots – the Shadow fleet.

It was the Shadows' home system.

"The fabric of space is not static; it is fluid." Kondar explained. "On very, _very_ rare occasions, space folds in on itself, directly connecting two points in the galaxy." The image showed a tunnel-like portal connecting the Shadow system...with _their_ system, coming right out on top of their planet. "The sector the Shadow fleet is in is due for such a folding – a Space-Fold – and it's going to come out right on top of us, bypassing all the defenses we have."

"When will this happen?" Link asked.

"In a year and a half, two years at most." Kondar said. "Most of our Fleet is currently dispersed throughout the galaxy, taking care of the remaining Shadow resistance centers before we call them back, to make sure the Shadows don't try to take advantage of us pulling back to defend the home front. In a year-and-a-half, we're going to need every ship, every capable officer in the Fleet right _here_, to drive the Shadows back; the Shadows know that we're the only ones capable of opposing them, so they're going to muster every ounce of force they can get, to try and wipe us out." He sighed. "King Andreus, if, after hearing this, you wish nothing to do with Aldare, I will understand; this is a war unlike any you have ever known. You need not get your country involved in it..."

"Emperor, by default, Hyrule _is_ involved!" the King exclaimed. "By the sounds of it, you need every bit of help you can _get_!" He chuckled, sounding somewhat embarrassed. "I do not know how Hyrule can be of help to mighty Aldare, but what little help we can offer, Aldare may have it! I would be honored to have my country allied with Aldare, in this dark hour!" He extended his hand to Kondar.

Kondar smiled, and shook it. "And Aldare will be proud to have Hyrule as an ally." he said. "In return, Aldare will assist Hyrule in matters of trade; we can make numerous trade routes open to you – our allies will share trade routes with you gladly. Also, we will aid you in any conflict between any other countries, both in terms of negotiations and armed forces; Aldare has some excellent political negotiators, and I'm sure that even the most fearsome ocean fleet will halt when faced with two or three of our Paladin-Class Heavy Cruisers!" His smile became a bit more forced. "However, with regret, we will not share technical knowledge with you, for two reasons. The first is on a practical note: if we _did_ share secrets of our levitation engines, for example, even your brightest minds would be unable to implement them. The second reason is because of one of our highest laws: if we were to interfere in the development of your civilization in such a way, it would be invariably _disastrous_."

The King nodded. "You're right, of course." he agreed. Chuckling, he added, "Especially on that first point, Emperor. Your Empire is..._overwhelming_ ; none of my countries architects or engineers could even come _close_ to anything so magnificent! If Atlantis is a prime example, then your Empire truly _is_ the most advanced civilization of our time!"

Kondar smiled. "Your compliments honor us." he said. To Link, he added, "Son, as I mentioned before, you _yourself_ are one of Aldare's resources; your mind and capabilities are truly remarkable. Aldare needs officers of your caliber, now more than ever. I wish to offer you an accelerated officer training program; in the coming months, we will send you numerous study materials, as well as assign you several training missions. The program will give you the education that a Fleet-officer will receive in five years or more by the time the Space-Fold occurs. The Empire needs you, Son."

Link knew what to say; only a few hours ago, he didn't know who his parents were, and now he'd learned that his home needed him. "I accept." he said.

His parents smiled proudly. "We're very, very proud of you, Son." Kondar said. "We'll let you and your friends head home, now."

"Take care, sweetheart." Varila said, hugging Link. "Come visit us whenever you wish! You'll always be welcome!"

"I will." Link promised. Then, his parents led them back to the ship bay, to see them off.

Within the hour, Link, Zelda, the King, and Delia were flying back to Hyrule in a Speeder – _Link's_ Speeder, now, as his parents had given him his own, for his training missions, as well as for him to visit. Soon, they were over Hyrule Castle, and Link set the Speeder down in the Castle Courtyard, powering it down, and opening the hatch, letting everyone out. The King and Delia headed back to the throne room, leaving Link and Zelda alone. "Well...I guess I'd better find a place to store that." Link joked, gesturing to the Speeder.

Zelda briefly smiled, her eyes showing a brief sadness, fading quickly. "Aldare is..._amazing_, Link." she whispered. "It's so beautiful." Then, she added, "Miss Orianis told me about the School, and it sounds like such an amazing opportunity for me to learn to control my magic." She giggled. "And the Headmistress understood why I hesitated at first; she _completely_ understood why I wouldn't want to leave 'that strapping young gentleman.' Then she told me that visitors are allowed to come once every month-and-a-half."

"So I could come visit you four times during your semester." Link noted.

Zelda nodded. "Besides," she said softly, "since you're going back to Aldare, it's not like I'll see you a lot, anyway..." Link then noticed the beginnings of tears in her eyes.

It was then that Link understood the sadness he'd seen. "Oh, Zel, is _that_ what you thought?" he laughed gently, taking her in his arms. "Zelda, I told my parents I _couldn't_ leave; not _now_, at least."

Zelda looked up at that. "But...but Aldare is your _home_..." she murmured.

"_No_, Zelda." Link corrected. "_You're_ my home. I may have been _born_ in Aldare, but it can _never_ be my home if you aren't there."

"You're...you're staying for _me_?" Zelda asked, joyful tears threatening to spill from her eyes.

"Of _course_!" Link declared. "I _love_ you."

At that, Zelda nuzzled closer to him. "Oh, Link...I love you, too." she cooed. "I _can't_ leave, now."

"Zelda, you were right: this _is_ a big opportunity for you." Link said. "I can't just let you miss it."

"_W-What_?!" Zelda cried. "But...but...you said you _loved_ me..! I thought you...you want me to stay!"

"Oh, please, sweetheart, don't misunderstand." Link soothed. "I _do_ want you to stay. But...this is such an amazing chance for you. It would be _selfish_ for me to make you miss it. Besides...I think you really want to go. So, Zelda, I want _you_ to choose what you wish to do, and, regardless of what you want to do, you'll have my support."

That seemed to soothe her. She thought for a moment, and asked, "Will you...wait for me?"

Smiling, Link answered, "Of _course_ I will, darling. I'd wait a thousand years for you; you're _more_ than worth waiting for."

Blushing slightly from the compliment, Zelda said, "I'd like to go."

Smiling, Link replied, "Then you'd best go tell your Headmistress." Zelda smiled back, and then they both went to find the Headmistress.

By the time Zelda had told Miss Orianis and gotten packed, it was sunset; Zelda's luggage had already been sent ahead to her new room in the dormitory for the start of the new semester in a few days. Now the Headmistress had only to teleport herself and Zelda to the school, and Link and the King were with them at the Courtyard to see them off. The King embraced his daughter. "Now, study well!" he said. "And be on your best behavior!"

"I will, Daddy." Zelda promised. "I'll do my very best!"

"I know you will." the King said, kissing his daughter's forehead. "I love you, sweetie."

"I love you, too, Daddy." Zelda replied. Then, the King released her, and Link walked to her, causing her smile to grow. "I miss you already." Zelda cooed.

"I'll see you again in a month-and-a-half." Link promised. "Nothing short of a life-or-death, cataclysmic event is going to keep me from you, and even _that_ won't keep me for long."

Zelda giggled at that. "I love you." she cooed.

"I love you, too." Link replied, as he embraced her, and they shared one passionate, loving kiss.

Had their eyes been open, they would have seen the aurora they'd produced for one enchanting moment.

Releasing Zelda from the kiss, Link stepped back, as the Headmistress placed one hand on Zelda's shoulder. "We'll take good care of her." she promised.

"Okay...I'm ready." Zelda said. Then, Delia slowly chanted a teleportation spell, and, in a flash of light, they were gone.

Link reflected on what had happened in the past few days; he'd gone from being a simple, unknown hero, to Hyrule's Defender, to the Crown Prince of the most powerful nation of all. He'd gathered the Essences and slain the evil Vaati. He'd helped his one true love discover her true nature, as an enchanting Fairy princess, and he'd seen her off to a school where she'd learn _more_ about her magic. In all, he'd finished _another_ adventure.

But his adventure wasn't over; it was only _beginning_. He'd see Zelda again, _soon_, and he didn't know what _else_ fate had in store for him.

Smiling, Link left the Castle, walking towards the sunset...to find out.

_THE END_


	12. Sneak Peek

The light deposited them all on the Castle's ceremonial tower: a wide, flat stone surface – _exactly_ the kind of battlefield that Zelda knew Link would need to fight Majora. It was now late at night, Majora's unholy powers having warped time _ahead_. Dawn was only hours away.

It was doomsday's eve.

Majora, controlling Stal's body, floated high in the air above them, with Tael orbiting his head, as he looked up at the Dragon Star, the deadly space-rock coated in a flaming red corona as it began to re-enter the atmosphere. "_If it can be stopped...just try and stop it!!_" Majora cackled.

Tael flew forward. "_Sis_!!" he cried.

"Hang on, Tael!" Tatl cried, as she circled Zelda. "Everything will be okay!"

"Tatl, _listen_!" Tael cried. "Swamp. Mountain. Ocean. Canyon. _Hurry_! The four who are there...you've got to bring them _here_!!"

"I understand, Tael!" Tatl replied.

"_SHUT UP!!_" Majora roared, backhanding Tael. "_Don't speak out of line, you stupid pixie!!_"

"_No_!" Tatl cried. "Majora, things _aren't_ going to go the way you expect them to!"

"Stal, listen." Link said. "We've talked to your friends. Stal, they _forgive_ you; they want to be your friends, again."

At that, Stal spoke with his own voice, shaking off Majora's influence. "_Really_?" Stal asked. "I thought..." Then Majora re-asserted control. "_QUIET!!_" he roared. "**_I'm_ **_in control, not **you**! You're **mine**, puppet!!_"

Zelda knew that Link had heard what he'd needed to hear: Stal was still in there.

"You're _done_, Majora." Link said. "You say you know about us slaying your generals? Then you _must_ know about how we've met the Temple occupants – Stal's friends – and can easily summon them. That's why you stole my Ocarina, isn't it?! So we couldn't call to them! Well, Majora...it's time for an _introduction_." At that, he took out the Ocarina of Time.

"**_NOOOOO!!!_**" Majora howled. "_DON'T PLAY THAT SONG!!!_" But Link ignored him, playing the Oath to Order, loud and clear.

Seconds later, Zelda heard the calls of the four giants, answering Link's call. Then, off in the distance, she saw them rise up, and walk towards the Castle, taking huge steps. In a matter of minutes, all four giants surrounded Hyrule Castle, calm under the approaching Dragon Star. They looked to each other, nodding in mutual understanding, and then each raised their hands to the comet, sending energy beams from their hands, striking the comet. The giants then began to push, using all of their might to stop the incoming space-rock. The Dragon Star's fall began to slow...and then..._stop_. Once it stopped, the giants kept their powers trained on it, ready to push it back into space, into its proper path.

When it was over, Zelda looked around; the Star was just hanging there, and Majora was floating lifelessly in the air. She walked over to Link, and they both looked to the east, and saw the beginning of a new sunrise, just starting to form. It had been a while since she'd seen one. "I've never seen anything so beautiful." she murmured.

Link smiled, and turned to her. "_I_ have." he said, looking at her. "Zel, I've...been meaning to ask you something."

Zelda felt her heart begin to flutter in her throat. "Yes, Link?" she asked, every fiber of her being trembling at what she _knew_ he would ask.

But before Link could ask, they were interrupted.

"_Sis_!!" Tael exclaimed, as he and Tatl flew happy circles around each other.

"_Tael_!!" Tatl exclaimed. "Tael, are you okay?"

"Yeah, Tatl, I'm fine!" Tael replied.

At the happy little reunion, Link and Zelda both had to smile. Tatl and Tael were back together, their little family reunited.

Suddenly, an evil chuckle filled the air...as Stal's body fell away from Majora's Mask, which more than _tripled_ in size, growing tentacles from its back. "_I've underestimated you two._" Majora hissed. "_I'll not make that mistake again._"

Zelda changed to her Fairy-form to assist Link, but before she or Link could do _anything_, Majora conjured an expanding dome of dark fire. It seemed to have no effect on Link, but it forced Zelda away, pushing her to the edge. Link was trapped in a domed arena! "_Link_!!" Zelda cried, pounding her tiny fists on the dome's wall.

"Zelda!" Link exclaimed, rushing over to her, stopping at the dome wall, placing his hand on the spot on his side of the dome where _her_ hand was. "Are you okay?"

"Yes...but I can't help you; I can't break through." Zelda said. "I'm so sorry..."

"Don't worry, Zel. I'll be fine." Link said, smiling. "I've got an ace in the hole. I'll be okay, sweetheart." Then, he turned, walking towards Majora's Mask, drawing his weapons.

Zelda didn't know what he meant – could it have something to do with the immense power he'd started to show? Zelda simply smiled to herself; all she knew was that Link _would_ win.

She believed in him.

As Link circled the floating Mask, Navi darted out of his cap. "Link, the only way to hurt Majora's Mask with your Sword is to use your Shield to reflect its beam attacks back at it to knock it down. Then you can attack it!" she squeaked. Link nodded, and returned his steely gaze to his foe. Majora whirled into a dervish, and flew at Link, trying to slice him with its spikes. Link easily leapt aside, and then Majora fired a steady beam of black fire at him. Link raised his Shield, using its mirror-surface to reflect it, angling it back at Majora, knocking the evil Mask out of the air. Link put his Shield away, and drew the Great Fairy Sword with the Master Sword, and then closed on the Mask, unleashing a deadly series of lightning-fast sword-strikes on it. Majora screeched in pain and anger, floating into the air, and then whirling at Link again, but the power of Link's Triforce of Courage warned him of the attack, and told him how to counter it; just before the Mask hit him, he leapt into the air and executed a down-thrust with both blades, pinning the evil Mask.

Majora shrieked as it broke free, and it began to change. The tentacles retracted back into it, as the Mask became a torso region, sprouting spindly arms and legs. It then grew a head, consisting of only one eyeball. "What is _that_?" Link exclaimed.

"That's Majora's Incarnation, Link." Navi explained. "It moves _really_ fast, so stun it with a Light Arrow, and then attack it!"

The Incarnation began to run around the battlefield at incredible speed, and Link couldn't get a clear shot. Link ran after the Incarnation, managing to get a clear shot, and let a Light Arrow fly, knocking the creature of darkness down, where Link closed in and unleashed a slashing salvo on it. The Incarnation shrieked, and began to run around even _faster_. Link ran after it, his stamina straining, and hit it again, knocking it down, and unleashing a leap-strike.

The Incarnation screamed, and seemed to go into convulsions. Its arms and legs began to grow muscular, sprouting whip-like tentacles where its hands should have been. Its head mutated to that of a monster, with the single eye still in its forehead. "Link...that's Majora's _Wrath_." Navi murmured. "It's Majora's true form, and in it, he can channel his _full_ power. I...I really don't know how to fight him, Link! Nobody's ever really beaten him in a fight like this; all anyone could ever do was trap him in that Mask!"

"That's okay, Navi. I'll be fine." Link said. Taking aim with a Light Arrow, he let it fly, but the Wrath effortlessly evaded it, somersaulting well over Link's head. As Link turned, the Wrath unleashed his whips, smacking Link over a dozen times before Link could even _blink_. Cackling, the Wrath unleashed a blast of deadly dark fire, and Link managed to get out of the way.

Now Link was getting tired. Keeping pace with the Incarnation had been tough, and Majora _still_ wasn't done.

Link dodged another fire-blast...only to be snagged by Majora's whips. The Wrath yanked him right off the floor, and slammed him against the side of the energy dome, releasing him as the Wrath made his throw. "_LINK!!_" he heard Zelda cry out.

Link turned his mind _inward_, deep within himself, searching for the power he'd felt once before, the seed of potential. He found it, and felt it blossom, sending the power surging through his body, putting it _completely_ at his command, ready for use at a moment's notice. Slowly, he got back up, and began to walk towards Majora.

Majora was practically _salivating_ when Link returned. Link just smiled calmly, and sheathed his weapons. "_Link_!! What are you _doing_?!!" Navi cried.

"Don't worry." Link replied. "I'm okay, Navi...which is more than Majora will be able to say." Slowly, he began to concentrate.

He'd always had an ace in the hole...and now was the time to _play_ it.

_Author's Note: And that's the end. I hope you all liked this little sneak-peek; if you want to see what happens next, you'll have to read "The Legend of Zelda: Wrath of Majora" when I have enough time to upload it._

_To all who read my story, I just want to say thank you. You've all given me the confidence and inspiration I need to continue writing. You can expect me to be back with more stories._

_In the near future, keep an eye out for my upcoming story, "The Legend of Zelda: Wrath of Majora." And, in the X-Men: Evolution section, have a look out for my upcoming story, "The Last Son." _

_So, until we meet again...thank you all!_


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